Untitled FFVII AU
by WomanOfHeart
Summary: This FFVII AU takes place a few years post Advent Children. It's told in a mix of the present time and character flashbacks. Cloud and Tifa are settling into their lives together, but Shinra's plans for rebuilding might lead them on a path of destruction.
1. Chapter 1

This as of yet untitled Final Fantasy fanfic started as the result of some dreams and nightmares that I've been having. This is an AU fanific, and as such, does not necessarily follow canon. I've taken liberties with creating new places, characters, and abilities. Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockheart, Barret Wallace, Marlene, Denzel, Rufus Shinra, Vincent Valentine, and Yuffie Kisaragi, Cid Highwind are borrowed charcters developed by Tetsuya Nomura and remain the property of Square Enix. Big thanks go to them for giving us the world of Final Fantasy to play in!

All other characters are of my design and remain my property.

_**Homecoming**_

She went to her knee, hoping for a moment to catch her breath. She wasn't sure how much longer she could go on with this battle. Head bowed, she scanned quickly above her, catching the glint of steel from above.

Lyra stood quickly and assumed a shaky defensive stance, using her katana to block the oncoming attack. Kadaj landed in front of her, almost knocking her over as his sword met hers. She took a step back and brought her sword down and around to try and strike his side. He blocked her and circled his blade around the hand guard. With a flick of his wrist, he sent her katana flying through the air behind her. It landed with a clang on the adobe tiles.

She began to step backwards, not wanting to break eye contact with him. Rain mixed with sweat dripped from her face. Wet strands of hair loosed from her ponytail hung from her forehead, dangling in front of her steel blue eyes. Her breath came in hungered, labored pangs. She knew he was toying with her.

She took a quick glance behind her, catching the location of the katana from the corner of her eye. Nearly panicked, she turned in an effort to get to it. Her strength failing and endurance spent, she slipped on the wet adobe tiles. She tried to pick herself up, but ended up half crawling, her feet sliding from underneath her in an effort to regain her footing and clawing at the tiles in front of her.

Kadaj increased the distance of his steps and caught up to her just as she reached the hilt. He stomped on her wrist, the hard sole of his boot grinding into her flesh. She looked up and was met by the twin blades of his sword. He reached down and grabbed her by the nape of her neck, hauling her roughly up in the air.

"So, you thought you could take me on yourself and save your precious Cloud." He jeered. "Looks like you overestimated yourself." He slammed her back down on her knees and moved behind her, gripping her neck tighter.

She thought he might strangle her, but instead felt a whoosh of air as Kadaj readied his sword. Then she felt the blades pierce the small of her back. She let out an anguished cry as the pain registered in her brain. He jerked her head back. She could feel his breath in her ear.

"I'm not going to kill you, little sister, although you do deserve it. But, I will leave you with a reminder," he drew the blades up her back, shredding her clothing and cutting the flesh on either side of her spine all the way up to her shoulder blades. She let out a blood curdling scream and felt the warmth of blood spreading down her back and sides.

"Know this, little sister. When he returns, your death will be slow and your pain a thousand times greater." Kadaj hissed.

"Kadaj!" yelled a familiar voice.

He looked up and slightly behind him, his green eyes glowing with anger. Cloud was perched on the edge of the rooftop above, staring down.

"Let her go, Kadaj!" Cloud yelled as he jumped down toward him.

Kadaj threw Lyra to the side and leaped out of the way as Cloud jumped from the roof. Lyra's torn and bloody body lay sprawled in a prone position. Cloud landed beside her, sinking to one knee. With his free hand, her touched her head and gently moved her hair away from her face. She was unconscious and bleeding profusely, but alive. He looked over to Kadaj, perched on the edge of the roof.

Kadaj flipped his sword with the honed edge up and pulled it in across his chest. He swiped blood from the blade and drew his finger to his mouth. His tongue slowly and purposefully licked the blood from his glove as if to savor it. Cloud couldn't help but cringe inside.

"So sweet," Kadaj whispered. He rose to a standing position, a smirk crossing his lips. "But it will be sweeter still when she dies!" He stepped off the edge, letting himself fall to the street below. He sank to one knee, cushioning the landing, and rose gracefully. He looked up to see Cloud peering over the edge as he strode to his waiting bike. As he mounted and sheathed his sword, he looked up again and said, "It won't be long, big brother. You should see to our sister." He revved the engine and in a flash he was gone.

Cloud ran back to Lyra's side. She was softly moaning in an effort to regain consciousness. She tried to lift her head, but didn't have the strength. Cloud reached for her hand. He spied her katana lying beside her and reached over to retrieve it.

"It's going to be alright, Lyra." He said, trying to comfort her. "I've got to get you out of here."

He sheathed both of their swords and gingerly turned her over, trying not to cause more pain as he lifted her into his arms and stood up. He thought about jumping to the street but decided against it. As he turned around, he saw an access door. He walked over to it, and without missing a stride, kicked it open.

He carried Lyra down the stairs as fast and lightly as he could. At the street, he paused momentarily to gain his bearings. The town had changed very little, but it had changed. Once he was sure of where they were, he headed of in the direction of Tifa's bar. Around the corner, he spied a motorbike parked on the street. His adrenaline was starting to come down and he realized he was exhausted. It would be a long walk carrying Lyra and he wasn't sure how serious her wounds were. In a split second decision, he was mounting the bike, placing Lyra in front of him so he could hold her. This wasn't exactly how he planned on returning to Edge.

"I'm taking you to Tifa," he whispered in Lyra's ear.

It had been a while. _How long has it been?_ He wasn't sure. Time seemed like a blur to him. It was all so surreal that he didn't think Tifa would even believe it. He wished he didn't believe it.

It was a short ride to 7th Heaven, but long enough for Cloud's vest to become soaked in Lyra's blood. The bar wouldn't be open yet, but the delivery doors would be unlocked. Cloud pulled around to the back of the building and parked right outside the door. He lifted Lyra off the bike and into his arms. She let out a slight yelp of pain as he shifted her to open the door. He glanced at her face and noticed tears welling in her eyes. He crossed the threshold and kicked the door closed with his heel.

Marlene was at the kitchen sink finishing the last of the dishes. Cloud's sudden entry surprised and scared her, making her about jump out her skin. Without thinking about it, she grabbed a large butcher knife from the counter, ready to defend herself. She gasped loudly and dropped the knife when she saw him.

"Cloud?" she asked. She wondered if her eyes were deceiving her.

He readjusted Lyra in his arms, getting a better hold of her limp body and said nothing. Quickly he walked through the kitchen area toward the bar room.

Tifa was behind the bar getting things set up for the nights business when she heard the door slam. She quickly checked the time on the clock behind her. _Damn, that boy must've been moving!_

"That was quick, Denzel! I'm glad you're back. There's a last minute delivery in the…"

Cloud burst through the double swinging doors before she could finish and stopped a few paces past. Marlene followed closely behind, tears welling in her eyes. Tifa's mouth opened wide and she stared at the sight before her. Blood covered his clothing and dripped steadily onto the wood floor, a seemingly lifeless body hung in his arms.

Caught by surprise, Tifa was speechless. Cloud was the last person she expected to see walk through the doors, especially after all this time. Yet, here he was and it was obvious that he carried trouble right in with him. She managed to keep herself together in spite of her shock and disbelief.

"Cloud? Oh my god! Are you all right?" Tifa ran out from behind the bar. She gave Cloud a quick once over and switched her gaze to the semi-conscious girl he was holding. She realized that the blood was coming from her back.

"Please, Tifa. Help us." Cloud pleaded. Marlene moved next to him. Her hand reached out to touch Lyra's head. She looked plaintively at Tifa.

"Take her into the spare room upstairs. I'll get the med kit. Marlene, go get some clean towels."

Cloud made his way up the stairs and into the room. He place Lyra on the bed as carefully as he could and gently turned her on her stomach. He knelt down beside the bed and held her hand. He stroked her hair and moved it out of her face. She opened her eyes and looked up at him. He gave her hand a squeeze in acknowledgment.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I had to."

"You're going to be all right. Be sorry later." He caressed her hand.

Tifa came in with the med kit which she placed on the nightstand and Marlene followed carrying several clean towels placing them carefully beside Lyra on the bed. As Tifa gently cut off the ripped clothing, she got her first full view of the damage in front of her. Her countenance turned to concern. Marlene ran to the bathroom and returned with a basin of water. Tifa motioned for her to put it on the nightstand.

Carefully, she assessed Lyra's wounds. Two long, deep lacerations ran up either side of her spine, exposing muscle and bone. The cuts were clean and close to the vertebrae. Tifa prayed there wasn't any nerve damage. She picked up one of the towels and began cleaning the wounds and trying to staunch the bleeding. Lyra stirred a bit and a low moan escaped from her mouth. Cloud comforted her as best he could and whispered to her to hold still. From the med kit, Tifa pulled out a tube of wound sealant and a small vial of blue liquid, which she handed to Cloud.

"Have her drink this. It'll help with the pain." She instructed him. Cloud removed the stopper and put the vial to Lyra's lips. He tipped it up and helped her drink. A few minutes later she closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.

Tifa applied the sealant to the lacerations as she cleaned them. She worked quickly and quietly. Cloud admired her efficiency and level-headedness. He felt Marlene standing behind him.

"I don't have anything for sutures," Tifa said as she continued. "It looks like the sealant is working, but she'll have scars. She'll need to rest for a few days." She finished and dressed the wounds lightly with gauze bandages. She took the basin of bloodied water to the bathroom sink, rinsed it out, and refilled it with fresh, clean water.

She wet a towel, wrung it out, and started cleaning the dried blood from Lyra's back and side. Cloud went to the basin and did the same, cleaning the opposite side. Tifa was being extremely gentle, almost motherly, but Cloud could tell that she was annoyed. When they finished, Cloud rinsed the basin while Tifa put the med kit back together and gathered the bloodied towels. She headed out the door and down the stairs without a word.

He checked over Lyra again, stroking her hair as his eyes went up and down the bandages. Marlene came to his side and gently touched his arm.

"You look like you could use a shower. I'll bring you some fresh clothes, too. Just put those outside the door and I'll see they get cleaned." He turned his head to look at her. Sweet Marlene, always the caretaker just like Tifa. He nodded in agreement and patted Marlene's hand.

The warm water soothed his aching muscles. He watched as dirt and blood were washed down the drain. He put his back against the wall and let himself sink down to the floor. He sat under the running water, becoming lost in his thoughts. Time flashed through his head as if in fast forward; finding himself on the ground and being surrounded by shadows, pain, Lyra's face, swimming, floating, weightlessness. He snapped back to the present with Kadaj standing over Lyra. He felt a chill go up and down his spine.

He got up, turned off the water, and grabbed a towel. When he finished drying himself, he wrapped the towel around his waist and opened the door. Outside was a stack of neatly folded, clean clothes just as Marlene had promised. He picked them up and went back inside, emerging from the bathroom completely clean and freshly dressed.

Marlene was sitting beside Lyra, her nose stuck in a book. She looked up and gave Cloud a smile as he walked in. "I can stay with her until the bar opens if you want me to, Cloud." He nodded to her, and headed downstairs.

Tifa was busy prepping a sink of soapy water to soak the towels. She heard Cloud, but didn't look up as he stopped beside her. For a few minutes, the two of them stood in silence, neither really knowing what to say.

"Thank you, Tifa." Cloud said, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

Tifa stopped pushing the towels down in the water and clutched the sides of the sink. She hanged her head down, shaking it slightly. There were so many questions swirling in her brain that she didn't know where to start.

"I would've taken her to Healin, but you were closer."

There was another uncomfortable silence. Tifa stared into the sink of bloody water. Cloud looked at the floor. He wanted to reach out for her, to hold her and feel her in his arms, but Tifa broke her silence and he stopped himself.

"I don't even know where to begin. It's been so long, Cloud." Tifa asked, still looking at the bloody water.

"How long?"

"What?" Tifa asked. She wasn't sure she heard him correctly.

"How long has it been, Tifa?"

She could tell by the look on his face that he wasn't joking. He really didn't know how long he'd been gone. All of the anger she felt disappeared, only to be replaced by worry. She wondered what else he'd lost.

"It's been ten months, Cloud. Ten long months."

He could hardly believe what he heard. Ten months of his life had gone by in a blur. He felt lightheaded and weak in the knees. He grabbed the counter beside him and squatted down with his head between his arms. He felt Tifa's hand on his shoulder.

"Come on," she coaxed, leading him to a table in the barroom. She pulled out a chair and helped him sit. "I'll get you a drink."

She went behind the bar and got a couple of bottles of ale from the icebox. She opened the bottles and gave one to Cloud. She took a drink of hers as she sat at the table across from him. Cloud took a drink in silence as Tifa watched him.

"We thought you'd run off again," Tifa started. "We went looking for you after you didn't come back that night. Me, Barrett, Cid, and Yuffie spent so much time looking for any signs of you or where you might have gone. After a couple of months, we figured you were gone forever."

She paused as if reliving it all over again. She brushed her hand through her hair as she continued. "Denzel kept the delivery business going and started taking the southern routes, even though I really didn't want him to. He was the one who found your bike and your sword. We all thought you were dead, attacked by monsters or ambushed by hijackers."

Cloud took a drink of his ale and said, "Ambushed by hijackers isn't that far off. I think ShinRa and his merry band of Turks comes close."

Tifa gave him a confused look but urged him to continue. She thought she'd reached a point in her life where nothing surprised her anymore. From the moment he walked back in the door, there had been nothing but surprises.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

He'd been approached by Reno and Rude on several occasions. The two of them had been trying to recruit him back into SOLDIER. Cloud always refused, but each time they returned they were more insistent. ShinRa didn't like being rejected. They even threatened to try and recruit Denzel.

It was no secret that ShinRa was rebuilding the electric company and that he was trying to reorganize SOLDIER. Words whispered on the wind hinted that he'd already amassed quite a force. People were afraid and sometimes people disappeared.

"Why didn't you say anything to me about it, Cloud?" This was the first Tifa had heard of this.

"The first time, I didn't really think too much about it. I treated it like a joke and sent them on their way. I figured they'd leave me alone. I didn't say anything the first time because I didn't think it was a big deal. I didn't say anything later because…well…I didn't want you to worry."

The day he disappeared he'd been called out to clear some shadow hounds from a small farming community. It wasn't anything unusual. New townships were springing up all over the Southern Lands and people often needed help making the areas safer. Cloud offered up his sword arm as a sideline to the delivery business. It often made up for slow days. He took off expecting to be back shortly after dark.

The trip started out uneventfully. He actually enjoyed riding through the countryside. He felt more and more at peace, even though he wouldn't completely let down his guard. These trips gave him time to reflect and clear his head.

He entered one of the more heavily wooded areas and raised his level of awareness. Monster still lurked in the trees, waiting for unfortunate, unwary travelers. He scanned carefully back and forth in front of him. He came to a bend in the road which limited his line of sight. He slowed Fenrir slightly, erring on the side of caution.

There was a sudden burst of bright light and Cloud felt himself flying through the air. He landed with a hard thud and slid several yards before coming to a stop. Before the dust even settled, he was surrounded by shadows. At first, he thought it might have been a pack of shadow hounds. As he lifted his head, the shadows took on more human shapes. Uniforms materialized as his head cleared; uniforms bearing the ShinRa crest.

The whole thing was a ruse set up by ShinRa and carried out by the Turks. Out in the middle of nowhere they attacked. He was outnumbered, overpowered and disarmed. There was another bright light and then blackness. The rest was a blur. When he woke again he found himself in unfamiliar surroundings with unfamiliar people. ShinRa was bound and determined to make Cloud join SOLDIER, even if it was by force.

Almost immediately he was the subject of experiments and torture. Sometimes he was knew what was being done to him. Most of the time he had no idea what was going on or why. Time faded away, replaced by pain and seemingly endless torment.

He wasn't the only one there. He could remember during more lucid moments seeing others being brought in. Men, women, and children passed through. All were either potential recruits or used in experiments. Some were willing participants from the start. Some stayed until they broke, becoming members of SOLDIER. Others didn't leave until they died, refusing to give in and commit their lives to SOLDIER, or becoming the victims of the experiments performed on them.

He could feel his will becoming weaker. His reality seemed to be changing. There were blank spots in his memory and other memories didn't feel like they belonged to him. He had only one memory that brought him comfort. He kept seeing a room filled with tables and chairs. There was a woman with two children seated at one of the tables, beckoning him to join them. Occasionally, he could hear a voice saying 'I am not your enemy.' He felt safe. He felt like he was home. He held on to this as if it was the only thing keeping him sane. And it was.

Once he was compliant, training was started and it was arduous. He spent hours building his strength and increasing his skills. Apparently he was quite impressive because people made quite a fuss over him. He was shown off to what he was told were very important people. He felt more like a prized pet, trained to show off on command. It irritated him, but he never let it show.

Twice a week he was given an injection. When he inquired about what it was he was told it was to help him keep up his strength. Twice a month he was immersed in a blue liquid. He was told this was to help build his immune system.

He began to look forward to sparing sessions. He was good with a sword, even if they were only practice swords. He was watched from a distance, but that didn't bother him. He felt free and in control when he was out on the sparing floor. That is, until he noticed her.

She was standing off to the side with one of the other training coaches. He could see them lean into each other and exchange words. There was something about her that seemed familiar to him. She was beautiful, to be sure. Her dark brown hair was held up by two chopsticks, disguising its length. He estimated her height to be around 5'6". Her body was slim and athletically built. She wore a white and blue half tank that fit the upper part of her body like a glove. Her exposed midrift showed a hint of a six pack. At first he thought she was wearing a skirt, but when she moved he realized it was pants with loose fitting legs. He found it odd that she was barefoot. Strapped to her back was a katana, the hilt braided in beautiful blue with a long length of white ribbon tied to the end. The tails of the ribbon fluttered gracefully every time she moved.

He was staring without realizing it and his opponent took advantage of it. He took a surprisingly hard strike to his side that nearly sent him scrambling to the floor. Not wanting to be struck again, he rolled off to the side and recovered quickly. He countered and blocked the next strike. In the blink of an eye, he let the blade of his practice katana slide down to the hand guard of his opponents. In one single, well planned move he disarmed him and sent him to the floor. He held the point of his blade to his neck and waited to his sparing partner to yield.

Applause signaled the end of the match. The woman walked from the sidelines onto the floor. Cloud moved away so his partner could rise and both stood facing her. He noticed the way she moved; graceful and cat-like. She circled Cloud, eyeing him up and down. She gave his partner a look and he bowed and quickly left the floor.

"Hhmm. You must be Cloud. Everyone is talking about you."

"And what are they saying?"

"That you're a formidable opponent. You could well be a SOLDIER First Class." She continued to circle him as she spoke.

"What do you think?" he asked defiantly.

"They might be right. But I'd like to test the theory myself." She clapped her hands and a young boy ran out onto the floor bearing another katana. He laid it across both of his hands and went down on one knee, raising it slightly and presenting it with outstretched arms. She nodded to Cloud, who wasn't quite sure what to do.

He took the katana in his hand and watched the boy run off again. He gave the woman a curious look. Real weapons weren't normally allowed on the sparing floor. He removed the sword from its scabbard and admired the blade.

"This is your real test," she said, unsheathing her katana. She brought the blade down and let it lightly tap the floor, then brought it back up in front of her. "Shall we?"

Cloud stood motionless, not knowing if he should actually take her seriously. She swiped at his face with her sword and he could feel a thin trail of blood run down his cheek. He wiped it away with his fingers and glanced at them momentarily when he drew his hand away. He gave her a surprised look.

"Doubt me again, and I'll give you a matching one on the other side."

Cloud glared at her and with a clang of steel, went after her with everything he could muster. She defended herself, effectively blocking and dodging all of his strikes. He was strong and presented a challenge. She silently admired him. That admiration nearly cost her the match.

She swung back and around, aiming for his neck and lost her center. He was able to duck the incoming attack and get off to her side. He had caught her off balance and pushed her away from him. She rolled and righted herself, then leaped into the air. She back flipped onto one of the high beams that spanned the ceiling far above the floor and looked down at him. The normal rules of engagement no longer applied. He could see a smile cross her lips. _Come and get me, Cloud._

He leaped up and landed beside her, striking at her. She parried and he turned around hoping to get in another strike. She parried again and quickly turned, bringing her sword down to strike at his legs. He jumped up and back flipped, landing on the beam a short distance away from her. _This is getting way too serious. She aims to hurt me, or worse kill me._

"Who are you?" he asked.

She stepped out of her defensive stance and answered simply, "Lyra," before charging him.

He jumped off the beam and landed easily on the floor. He looked up at her and saw a look of surprise on her face. He grinned. She followed him down and he jumped backwards out of her way and then flipped over her as she was kneeling to cushion the jump. He turned and before she could stand he brought his blade to her neck.

"Yield. I have the advantage," he insisted.

She rolled to the side away from the blade and let go of her katana. She used her hands to spring back to her feet. He turned and raised the sword to strike. She jumped back out the way, waiting for the follow through. As his blade came down, she flipped over his head, pulling the chopsticks out of her hair in midair and landed directly behind him, holding one stick to each side of his neck. The points were sharp and drew a little blood.

"Who has the advantage now?" she whispered in his ear.

Defeated, he dropped his katana to the floor. The pressure on his neck released, he stepped forward, and then turned around to face her. Her hair fell to just past her elbows, shorn in long, uneven layers. She peered at him from behind long wisps of bangs that hung lightly in front of her eyes. She held the sticks in her mouth and pulled back her hair. As quickly as it had been taken down, she had her hair back up in a loose bun.

He reached up to his neck and looked at the blood on his hand. A boy appeared with a clean cloth which Cloud pressed against his wounds. The wounds weren't deep and it didn't take long to stop the bleeding.

"Anything can be a weapon. Remember that next time." She said dryly.

"I'll keep that in mind."

She stepped in towards him with her hand extended. He grabbed it and she pulled him in slightly. "Cloud, I am not your enemy," she whispered. He looked her squarely in the eyes, not quite comprehending what she meant even though the words were vaguely familiar. She nodded at him and without explaining walked around him to fetch her katana. He watched as she gracefully picked it up and sheathed it without missing a stride.

That was the first of many sessions. Sometimes he won, sometimes she won. Occasionally there was blood drawn, but they were both careful that it was nothing serious. It wasn't long before they were more evenly matched.. Cloud found it curious that Lyra would end some of the sessions the same way she had ended their first. Regardless of the outcome, she would sometimes step in to shake his hand and tell him that she wasn't his enemy. It was evident to him that she wasn't, so it didn't make sense for her to keep reminding him. Maybe it was just another one of the mind games she seemed fond of playing with him.

She changed the tactic during their last spar. Their katanas were locked and they circled tightly together. She waited until her back was turned to observing VIP's and paused slightly.

"Cloud, I am not your enemy."

He felt like he'd been hit by a ton of bricks. His eyes opened wide in shock. Lyra backed off as he let his katana fall to the floor and sank to his knees. Thinking quickly, she moved in and placed her blade against his neck. He looked up at her from under his eyelids, a mix of anger and confusion on his face.

She stepped back to let him pick up his katana and stand. He nodded and extended his hand. She grasped it and pulled him into her. "You'll understand later." she said in a hushed voice. He nodded in acknowledgment. She turned and left the floor.

She stopped on the sidelines and picked up a towel. She walked off, gently wiping the sweat from her face and felt a hand grab her forearm. It was Grayson, one of the ShinRa suits. She despised him and his arrogant attitude. He was one of ShinRa's most trusted executives, and one of his most sinister.

"You shouldn't play with him like that." He said sarcastically.

"I'm not playing with him." She retorted. She tried to wrestle her arm out of his hand, but he tightened his grip. She wanted nothing more than to run him through, but she knew that would be a huge mistake.

"I've been watching you for months. I see how you act around him both on the floor and off. You lead him on, then you treat him like a pet." He leaned in to her, "It might make someone wonder if there wasn't something else going on with the two of you."

"There's nothing going on, Grayson. Besides, you've made me _his_ pet. It's only fair I should have my own!" She managed to shake him off her arm and step away. He shot her a glare that could've knocked her through a dozen lifetimes.

"That's not how this game is played, Lyra. You serve a very special purpose, don't forget that. Maybe you need a reminder?"

She knew why Grayson was so cruel to her. It was because she was destined for another, her "betrothed" they called him. He could be even crueler and had actually unleashed Grayson on her one night as punishment for flirting with one of the lab assistants. The thought of another "reminder" sent chills down her spine.

"I'll arrange the meeting for you. Say, tonight at 11:30 right here. It'll be nice and quiet." Grayson stalked off toward the doorway and turned, "Don't be late." He eyed her katana and the chopsticks in her hair, "And make sure you aren't armed."

Cloud was alone in his room, alone with just his thoughts. He replayed the sparing session in his head. Her words, her voice echoed in his head. He'd heard them before. Before the training sessions began, before he started sparing with her he'd heard those words. They were like an anchor in his sanity, odd comforting words spoken during times of pain or unconsciousness.

A knock on the door jolted him back to reality. It was a strange time for anyone to be summoning him. He answered the door expecting to see some ShinRa suit or one of the doctors. Instead, he was greeted by Lyra.

"What are you doing here? How did you get past the guards?" he said quietly.

"I have my ways, but this needs to be quick. Can I come in?"

Cloud moved aside, inviting her to enter and closed the door behind her. He took a seat on the small sofa across the room and motioned for her to sit with him. She declined and remained standing.

"I'm sorry about what happened today, but I had to do it," she started.

"What in the hell was that, Lyra? What are you trying to do?"

"I'm trying to save our lives. Let's just say that I found out some information about you and me that the suits would rather I didn't know. If they find out, they'll kill us both."

"Give me one good reason why I should believe you."

"I can't explain it all right now. We don't belong here, Cloud. We need to leave and the sooner, the better. Please," she stepped forward, eyes pleading. "Just trust me."

He'd never seen her like this before. She sounded frightened and almost desperate. "This isn't like you, Lyra. Either you're trying to mess with my head even more, or something really has you spooked. Which is it?"

"I'm really scared, Cloud. I think the suits might be suspicious now."

"Is that why we've had a crowd of them watching us lately?"

"I think so."

"There's something else you aren't telling me." Cloud said suspiciously.

"I'll tell you later, I promise." She walked to the door and carefully opened it. She peered around the jamb and looked in both directions to make sure it was clear. There was no one in the hall. Looking back at Cloud she said, "Be ready to leave tonight." She walked into the hall, pulling the door closed behind her.

Lyra made her way quickly to the training hall. She was cutting it close by going to Cloud's room. She was trusted, but that didn't mean she had free reign to go where she pleased. She took an enormous risk by paying him a visit, especially now.

She stepped through the doors into the training room. It was illuminated only by the light shining through the skylights in the ceiling high above. She moved carefully, stepping from toe to heel to silence her footsteps. She hoped what Grayson said was an empty threat and that she was alone.

Quietly she stepped out to the middle of the sparing floor. She was still alone. Only her shadow was cast in front of her. She realized that she was still standing on the balls of her feet and gently let herself come down to her heels. She let out a sigh as she gazed up at the skylights.

"Punctual as usual, I see."

She recognized the voice from behind her and it did not belong to Grayson. She could hear his slow, purposeful footsteps. He stopped behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. She suddenly felt cold.

"I've heard some disturbing news about you and a certain trainee." He said coolly.

"What you heard was greatly over exaggerated, just as it was the last time." She replied.

"I'm afraid not, Lyra." He turned her to face him. "I was told that you wanted him as a pet because I treat you like a pet. Is that not true?" His eyes glowed with anger and she trembled as he stroked her cheek.

"They were words said in anger. I didn't mean it. Grayson made more of it than he should have."

"So you don't have feelings for Cloud?" He jerked her head up by the chin, forcing her to look him in the eyes.

"No," she hesitated. "I was promised to you." She felt his grip tighten around her chin. He moved her head from side to side as if inspecting her.

"You lie!"

He lifted her from the floor and tossed her. She hit one of the pillars marking the sparing floor with a sickening thud and her body slid down to the floor. She looked up to see him standing over her, his eyes flashing. He grabbed her by the neck, yanking her back up to his eye level, and slamming her against the pillar.

She struggled to breathe, her hands clawed at his in an effort to make him let go. She felt his other hand lift up her skirt and skim her thigh. She struggled harder, kicking at him. He released his grasp on her neck and let her drop back to the floor. She bent over, coughing the air back into her lungs. When she could stand upright again, he could see the mako glowing in her eyes.

A slight breeze came up, gently blowing Lyra's hair in tendrils that framed her head and floated across her face. The loose sleeves of her shirt billowed and waved as she began to raise her arms, and her skirt fluttered gracefully.

"Go on, Lyra. Call on your elementals." He jeered at her, unimpressed. "We've played this game before. We can play again, if it pleases you, but the outcome will still be the same."

She stopped, letting her arms fall to her sides. The glow disappeared from around her eyes. _Not here, not now._

He moved up to her, taking her hand in his, guiding her to the center of the training floor. They stopped and he turned to face her. He ran his hands through her hair and kissed her on the forehead.

"If only he knew the truth about you." He whispered in her ear as he pushed her to the floor. She didn't fight him. It would've been pointless.

He finished with her and watched as she put her clothing back on. It seemed curious to him that he could admire, and even desire, something that he hated. He had never seen her as anything but beneath him from the day they were first introduced. J-cells and mako were their only common connection, and that was enough for him to despise both her and Cloud.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3  
**_

Lyra returned in the early morning hours. She had with her two packs and an extra katana. She handed Cloud one of the packs and the katana. He slung the katana across his back, followed by the pack. He still wasn't sure if he could trust her and the reality of what they were doing hadn't set in yet. They stepped out into the hall and headed to the door at the far end.

"What about the guards?" he asked.

"I'm good at creating temporary distractions."

They stepped on the other side of the door which opened to a large octagonal atrium. It was dimly lit with four tunnels that led off in four directions. They turned right and headed for the south tunnel. Cloud knew that it went to the lab and he hesitated. Lyra touched his arm in reassurance and moved ahead. He felt like he had no choice but to follow.

The lab was empty at this hour. The only light was the soft glow of the immersion beds and the exit markers. He'd never seen it unlit before. It was even more eerie in the night and it gave him chills. Lyra beckoned him to follow and they crossed to the far side of the lab.

She led him to the entrance of another room. She pulled a keycard out of the pocket of her trench and used it in the reader. The door slid open with a swoosh and they stepped inside.

The room was lined with benches. A single desk sat at the back. Cloud could see another keycard reader at the back of the room on the right side. Lyra crossed the room and used the keycard again. The door slid open revealing a long, dark tunnel.

"Where does this go?" Cloud asked.

"Up and out," she replied. "We have to hurry. We're going to need as much of a head start as we can get. It won't be long before they send him looking for us." She pulled a glow stick out her pack and waited for the door to close before shaking it and snapping it lit.

They moved quickly through the tunnel to a set of stairs that went up into the darkness. It looked like they went on forever. Lyra looked at Cloud plaintively. This time he grabbed her hand and they made their way up the stairs. After what seemed an eternity, they reached another door with a reader.

"This is it." She said, putting the keycard in the reader. This time the door opened into a cave. "This is the world above. The one I don't remember. The one I was torn from when I was just a very little girl."

It was short walk to the mouth of the cave and the world outside. A dense forest stretch before them and the chirping of insects rose in the air like a choir. This was familiar to Cloud and he looked all around him to get a better idea of where they were. Lyra turned to look behind them, partly to check for anyone following and partly to take one last look at Nazaria.

"It was really the only home I've ever known. All I know about the world above is what I've been told by others and read in secret." The tone in her voice was sad and distant. She paused and then shook it off as if it were all a bad memory. "Your home is called Edge. Since I no longer have a home, that's where we're going."

"I don't think I remember how to get there."

"That's alright," she said. "I stole a map from the Strategy Room." She produced a neatly folded paper from her pack. They moved into the cover of the woods before unfolding it. They got a general idea of which direction they needed to go and started hiking to the south, deeper into the woods.

He wasn't sure how long or how far they had traveled. They reached a clearing and Cloud stopped to check the map. They were still on the right track, but Edge seemed so far away. He noticed twilight appearing over the tree line.

"I'm getting kind of hungry and we should probably rest." He shrugged the pack from his shoulders, unslung the katana, and sat down on the ground. Lyra followed his example and sat down beside him.

She opened her pack and pulled out some rations. "I packed in a hurry, but it should hold us until we can get to a town." She choked down a small bite. Protein rations were designed for portability and survival. Making them appetizing wasn't part of the plan.

Cloud followed suit, then laid down using his pack as a make-shift pillow. There wouldn't be much real sleep, but at least he could nap for a little while. As he close his eyes he remembered something Lyra has said earlier; _it won't be long before they send him looking for us. _He wondered what she meant by 'him' as he drifted to sleep.

He was shaken awake a short time later. Still groggy, he looked up to see Lyra with a concerned look on her face. "We've got to move." The tone of her voice snapped him out of his grogginess.

He was up and ready to go a few seconds later and they started moving again. Lyra took the lead this time, setting a fast pace. Cloud noticed that she was scanning the treetops as well as looking around her. He found himself doing the same, although he wasn't sure what he was looking for.

She stopped at a dense thicket. Cloud had moved slightly ahead, and she reached out to grab him. "Wait," she whispered as she pulled him underneath with her. "Shhh," she motioned, putting her finger to her lips.

She closed her eyes as if meditating. Her body became stone still and her breathing became slow and steady. Cloud could feel the energy radiating from her body. He had no idea what she was doing, and for a moment he doubted her, thinking she might be giving them away.

"Good," he heard her whisper. She opened her eyes and he saw a slight smile on her face. She crawled out from beneath the thicket and he followed. She looked closely around her to make sure nothing was waiting for them. "We've got to go. What I did will only throw him off our trail for a day, maybe two if we're lucky."

"Throw who off our trail? What did you just do?"

She didn't answer him, but started moving south again. He followed, annoyed that she hadn't answered him. They continued on in silence, covering a lot of ground until it started to get dark again.

They stopped at a well covered area close to a small brook and settled in for the night. Both of them were exhausted. They had taken only a few very short rest breaks and according to the map, had covered roughly 15 miles.

Lyra unlaced her boots and took them off to rub her feet. She noticed Cloud was watching and stopped.

"You should take your boots off. Check your feet and let them breathe."

He unzipped his boots and struggled to get them off. His feet were swollen and they didn't want to come out of the hard leather. Lyra moved over to help him. He pushed her hands away initially, as if he didn't want her touching him. She insisted and he gave in, letting her pull while he pushed. He leaned back on his elbows once they got the second boot off and let her take off his socks.

She inspected his feet, checking for blisters and cracks. Amazingly, she found none and began lightly rubbing one of them beginning at his toes. He allowed himself to relax a bit and laid down on the soft grass.

"You could use a pedicure." She said jokingly. It got a little snicker from him.

"Sure. As soon as we get to Edge." He joked back.

She worked her way from his beneath his toes to the bottom of his foot and stopped suddenly. It felt coarse and scarred. She lifted it up higher so she could see it in the moonlight. She was right. It was covered with old scars.

"By the gods," she muttered under her breath.

He pulled his foot out of her hand and sat up quickly. "It's nothing," he said as he started pulling his socks over his feet.

"It's worse than what I read." Her voice trailed off as she sat back.

Cloud froze for a moment, taking in what she said. Twice now she'd been cryptic, and it was really starting to piss him off. "What did you read, Lyra?"

She glanced at him and then looked at the ground, realizing her mistake. "I've read your files."

"What files?"

Lyra remained silent. She didn't know how to answer him or whether she even should. He asked her again, his tone becoming angrier and he moved closer to her.

"All of them." She finally replied quietly. "Your indoctrination files, your medical files, your training files…all of them."

"So you were part of this?" he was almost yelling at her. "You helped them?"

She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "At first I did. I was told that you were once in SOLDIER, and that you were kidnapped and brainwashed by AVALANCHE."

"That's a lie," Cloud interrupted. "And you believed it."

"ShinRa, SOLDIER, and Nazaria are all I've ever known. Why wouldn't I believe them?" She choked back more tears. Ashamed to be seen in such a state, she stood up and continued with her back turned. "I found out the truth. During one of my medical checks, the doctor was called to a more urgent matter. He left my file sitting on the table. I was never allowed to see it. I don't know why, but I never questioned it. Curiosity got the best of me that day and I was left alone, so I picked it up and started reading it. My world came crashing down that day."

"So by saving me you get some sort of redemption." Cloud's tone was cold and sarcastic. His words cut through her like a knife.

"No. It's not like that. I hate ShinRa and everything it stands for. My whole life has been a lie. Everything I was told, everything I knew were all lies. I found a way into the vaults where they keep all the records and archives. I read your files and it just made me angrier. From that point on, I went out of my way to try and help you. I convinced the suits to let me participate in your indoctrination and training. They trusted me and I was a high ranking, loyal member of SOLDIER. Every chance I got, I put that phrase into your head."

"I am not your enemy."

"Yes. I needed a way to get through to you. I knew you didn't trust anyone in spite of how you acted. I always knew your will was too strong and no matter what they did, there would always still be a part of the real you that remained. I couldn't let them have you, and I didn't want them to have me anymore."

He could tell that she wasn't lying. She had just thrown away everything she'd ever known to escape ShinRa and she took him with her. He got up and walked behind her, placing his hand reassuringly on her shoulder. He could feel her trembling.

She turned and looked up into his eyes and he wiped a lone tear from her cheek. "Why me?" he asked. She cast her eyes down and gently shook her head.

"What I had been told about you was a complete lie." She glanced up briefly, reading the confusion on Cloud's face. She worried that she was revealing too much too soon. "ShinRa wanted you because you posed a threat to him, to ShinRa Energy, and to SOLDIER. He was afraid of being taken down by AVALANCHE again, so he set it up for you to be brought in and reprogrammed so he could use you to eliminate that threat." She reached up and gently placed her hand on his cheek. "I got you out because there are people out here who care about you, and probably miss you. Because this wasn't your choice, and it wasn't mine." She paused, letting the tips of her fingers slide lightly down his face. Cloud could see a slight blush cover her cheeks. "And because I was attracted to you from the first time I saw you."

Cloud let out a half chuckle and turned away. He had been attracted to her too, but somewhere in his memories there was another. He could see her face now, but couldn't remember where, and couldn't recall a name. He was sure this memory belonged to him and it frustrated him.

"They will come back in time." Lyra said. "You just have to be patient."

He shook his head and brought himself back to the present. Patience was something he was running out of. He turned abruptly, almost glaring at Lyra. He still had questions and this time he wasn't going to let them go unanswered.

"You said earlier that it wouldn't be long before they sent _him_ looking for us. What did you mean by _him_?"

She walked over to her pack and sat down. She was hoping to avoid answering as she opened it and started digging through it. Cloud knelt down beside her and grabbed her by the wrist. She shot him an angry look, but he didn't let go. He wasn't going to back down and she knew it.

"Kadaj."

Her answer was so unexpected that Cloud let go of her wrist, stood up, and took a couple of steps back. That was the last name he was expecting to hear and the sound of it brought back a flood of memories.

"That's…that's impossible! He fell into my arms and disappeared into the LifeStream!" He looked as shocked at the memory as he did remembering it.

"And he didn't stay there any more than Sephiroth did. According to your file, Sephiroth came back twice. Once was through Kadaj. ShinRa figured out a way to bring them back."

There was another name that opened a flood of memories. Sephiroth, the Nightmare. He suddenly had a vision of being run through and flung through the air like a rag doll. He remembered being stabbed through his shoulder. He pulled the arm of his vest over, revealing the scar. The scar was real, the memory was real. It was a memory he wished he could forget.

"Them? How did they bring _them_ back?"

"ShinRa sent out a recovery party after you defeated Sephiroth. They found the box that contained Jenova's head. There was enough material left that they were able to genetically recreate Kadaj."

"And what about Sephiroth?"

"There was enough to bring him back, too. They're still finishing with him, but it won't be long. In spite of what Kadaj would like to think, Sephiroth has been ShinRa's primary project."

"Well, that's just fucking great. If they can bring back Sephiroth, why bother with Kadaj?"

"Kadaj is an experiment, an attempt to continue the line of SOLDIER's. Sephiroth will be ShinRa's right hand, his SOLDIER First Class, his enforcer." Lyra sighed and resumed digging through the pack.

"Sephiroth won't be anyone's right hand. He served no one but himself." Cloud's voice trailed off as he remembered how Sephiroth destroyed his hometown, leaving it a smoldering pile of cinders. "So, Kadaj is stalking us now?"

After a few more minutes of rummaging, she answered. He was stalking them, and he was probably enjoying it. The Kadaj that Cloud knew was cold and cruel, but he was impetuous and impatient. This version of Kadaj was colder, more calculated, and sadistic. He had developed patience and he took great pleasure in the chase, stalking and toying with his prey like a cat.

"I sent out shadows of ourselves to throw him off for a while, but the energy signals will fade and he'll come back looking for us. It's a safe bet he'll be even more pissed off than he already is. He wants to kill you, you know. He wants his revenge for what you did, and for what I did."

"For helping me escape."

"That," she paused, finding what she had been digging for in the pack. "And because he thinks I've betrayed him by being with you. He will not let me go so easily."

From the pack, she produced a syringe, and a vial of yellowish green liquid. Cloud recognized it as the same thing he'd been injected with back at the lab. He always hated how it initially made him feel. Another sudden flash came to his memory; this one of seeing people in the alley ways injecting themselves, their worn faces begging for help, begging for an escape.

"What are you doing?" He knelt down beside her and grabbed her wrist again to stop her from putting the needle into the top of the vial.

"You don't know what this is, do you?" She shot him a glare.

"It's the same shit they told me would build with my strength. All it ever did was made me feel sick."

She thought about what he said for a minute. Of course, they wouldn't tell him what it really was. She really didn't want to tell him, either. But, he was going to find out sooner or later and she needed it.

"It's J-cells, harvested from Jenova herself. This is what you were given."

_Just like last time, _he thought to himself. _All the injections, all the mako exposure…_They had been trying to do the same thing to him all over again

"So, we're away from there. We don't have to do this anymore." He tried to grab the vial from her hand, but she jerked it away before he could touch her.

"You don't have to do this anymore, but I do. The J-cells only made a minor enhancement to your already existing abilities. You were born non-cell enhanced. I wasn't. Without them, I'll get sick. Apparently, I'm an experiment, too." She spoke as if she were almost disgusted by herself.

Cloud watched as she drew up the liquid into the syringe and tapped the bubbles out of it. She then pulled up a leg of her pants and injected it into her thigh. She took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly, and sinking back into the grass.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4**_

Lyra took the first watch. She had only injected enough J-cells to keep her going, but it was enough to give her a little more energy. She sat beside the small fire they'd started, watching Cloud as he slept, and listening to him softly breathing. She giggled quietly to herself as his facial expressions changed in his sleep, and wondered what was going on in his dreams.

Cloud's expressions became more intense the longer she watched. He started mumbling, and tossing and turning. Whatever was happening in his dream wasn't good, and Lyra couldn't watch it any longer.

She moved over and knelt beside him, gently touching his shoulder. He shrugged her off, so she gently shook him, softly calling his name. He suddenly jolted awake, catching Lyra off guard, and pushing her to the ground.

He was on top of her in a second with his hands around her neck. She felt his hands tighten, constricting the flow of air into her lungs. Instinctively, she struggled to get him off of her while she tried to wedge her fingers between his hands and her neck. She managed to loosen his grip and took in a deep, wheezing gasp.

"Cloud," she coughed, "It's me. Stop. Please, stop." She continued to squirm beneath him and she was able to get his hands off her throat. Her feet finally found purchase on the ground, and she was able to roll the both of them over, reversing their positions. She grabbed Cloud by the wrists, "Cloud, wake up!"

He stopped fighting her, and relaxed his arms. Lyra released his wrists and leaned forward to catch her breath, her hands on each side of Cloud's head supporting her weight. His hands went to his face and then through his hair.

He offered an apology, asking her if she was all right. Between breaths she acknowledged that she was, and sat up. "You could've killed me! What in the hell were you dreaming about?" she asked.

"I don't remember." He looked off to the side, not wanting to look her in the face. He'd hurt her, even if it was unconscious and unintentional. He felt her hand caress his face and he held it there, turning to look at her. He reached up to brush the bangs back from her face and their eyes locked. He only then realized how blue her eyes really were, so beautiful, so perfectly almond shaped. His fingers grazed over her cheek, skimming the soft skin beneath.

Her eyes slowly closed and opened again, a small sigh escaping from between her lips. She felt his hand gently run through her hair. She leaned forward slightly and hesitated, but his hand coaxed her to continue until their faces were only inches apart.

He lifted his head, his lips gently brushing hers ever so sweetly. She responded kissing him back until she felt his tongue and her lips parted slightly, allowing him access to kiss her fully. He continued to kiss her passionately, holding her head in his hands, running them through her hair. He pulled back from her momentarily, looking into her eyes. He pulled the chopsticks from her hair, and he laid them on the ground next to them.

Her hair fell into his face in graceful, flowing layers. He brushed his hands through them again, and pulled her in for another kiss even more passionate and desperate than the last, their tongues probing and licking. She found herself swept up in his taste, his touch, his smell. She let out a low, soft moan, and he could feel her hips slowly moving against his body. He rolled her over on the grass so that he was on top of her.

He moved from her mouth to her neck, making little circles with his tongue as he slowly made his way down. He lifted his torso, his hand skimming her breasts outside of her shirt, and she arched her back in eager response to his touch. He felt her hands move down his back, pulling his shirt from under his waistband.

He unbuttoned her blouse and gently slid his hand inside, feeling the firmness of the flesh underneath. He continued to gently kiss and nibble all the way down her neck, brushing aside her now completely unbuttoned blouse, and circling her nipple with the tip of his tongue.

He heard her gasp and moan, her breath quickening. His hand slid down her side, lightly touching her skin all the way down to the small of her back. He put his hand underneath her, and rolled so they were on their sides facing each other. His hand moved over her backside, giving it a playful squeeze as he pulled her closer to him.

She returned the favor, then moved her hand between them. She stroked the inside of his thigh all the way up between his legs. This time, it was his turn to do the moaning. She kissed him and continued to massage him, making him swell uncontrollably beneath her hand. She felt his hand touch her thigh. Before she could think about it, she flinched and removed her hand from between them.

Cloud stopped and looked at her. He could see the fear in her eyes. "Are you okay?"

She hadn't meant to alarm him. She consciously reminded herself that it was Cloud lying beside her, touching her, kissing her. "It's nothing. I'm sorry." She closed her eyes and rolled to her back.

He knew she was hiding something, but didn't press the issue. Instead, he reached over, covered her naked chest with her shirt, and kissed her sweetly on the cheek. She opened her eyes to see his looking over her. She expected he'd be angry, but here he was, with a slight smile of acceptance on his face. He laid down beside her, and they stared up at the stars, sharing the quiet and each others company for a few minutes.

Lyra sat up and buttoned her shirt. "You should try and get some more sleep." Cloud shifted to his side, starting as though he was going to argue with her. "I mean it," she said, pushing him to his back. "And don't have any more nightmares." They snickered in unison as he moved his pack under his head.

It was quiet again. Cloud had been asleep for a couple of hours now with no signs of bad dreams. Lyra watched him, regretting that she'd ruined their potential lovemaking. She really wanted to tell him what caused her to be afraid. She wanted him. She wanted him to want her, to take her, but she didn't know if that would ever be possible.

She was getting tired, but she wanted to give Cloud more time to sleep. In her mind, he needed it more than she did. The fire was starting to die down a bit so she started gathering more branches to keep her awake.

She walked toward the brook, picking up small branches as she went. Occasionally, she would stop and look back at the camp to make sure everything was as it should be. The view was partially obstructed by trees and shrubs, but not so much as it was in the other direction. She knelt down at the brook, gathering water into her cupped hands for a drink. She felt something move behind her and stood up. She was going to turn around when she felt a hand over her mouth.

"Shhhhh," he whispered in her ear. "It looks like your pet is sleeping. We wouldn't want to wake him now, would we?"

She tried to hide the fact that she was trembling. He turned her around, glaring into her eyes. She glanced over at the camp, chastising herself silently for leaving it, and for leaving Cloud.

"I haven't done anything to him…yet." His gloved hand patted her face.

"Leave him alone, Kadaj."

"Oh," he laughed softly. "Protective, aren't we? That would be why you sent out energy decoys. I applaud your creativity. I'll admit that was a bit of magic I wasn't expecting from you."

"He hasn't done anything to you. Take me back, if you will, but leave him." She pleaded.

"Why? This is much more fun; chasing you, chasing him." He turned her around again so he was behind her. One hand held her by the hair, the other moved down her body, stopping between her legs. "Mother's legacy lives on in me, my progeny, and in _him_." The fanaticism in his voice made her shudder.

"No, Kadaj. Please. Don't do this." She felt his hand groping her over her clothes.

"I was watching the two of you. You wanted to fuck him, didn't you?" He said as he jerked her head back.

"No, I didn't." She reached up behind her to grab his hand and he jerked her head back even harder.

He pulled her closer to him, and bent his head to her neck. He drew in air through his nose, smelling her. "You smell like him." His tongue snaked out, licking her. "You taste like him. I'd say you did."

He pulled down on her hair, forcing her to sink to her knees with him. She heard the creaking of leather as he took off his gloves, then the zipper of his top being pulled down. His reached around her and began undoing the buttons of her blouse. His hands moved underneath, groping at her breasts. She struggled, reaching up to scratch his hands. He grabbed a handful of her hair and covered her mouth with his other hand to stifle her cries.

"You really should stop fighting me because if you wake him, I'll kill him." He looked over at the still sleeping Cloud, then back at Lyra. "And you'll wish that your fate had been the same." His hand moved from her hair down to her neck, over her breasts, and continuing to her waistband where he undid the buttons.

He put his hand inside, feeling her body shake beneath his touch. He slowly worked her pants down over her hips and let them drop to her knees. His hand went between her legs, forcing her to spread them slightly, and he penetrated her with his finger. Her muffled yelp excited him, and he forced his finger deeper into her.

She felt dizzy and nauseated as he continued fingering her. She managed to reached up and take his hand off of her mouth. "Please, stop." She begged, gasping for air.

"I'll stop when I'm done with you," he whispered in her ear. He rubbed his hips against her backside, and he delighted in hearing her take in a deep, frightened breath. He pulled her shirt from her shoulders and off of her arms. Holding her to his body with one arm, he undid his belt and pulled it from the loops with his other hand. He used it to tie her hands tightly behind her back, and he stuffed her shirt into her mouth.

He pushed her over, keeping her hips in the air. He lifted her up slightly and slid her pants off all the way. She could hear him undoing his, and she let out a muffled cry. He wedged himself between her knees, spreading her apart, and started rubbing himself between her legs.

She could hear him panting and groaning behind her. He was already hard. She felt his hand on her hip and a burning sensation as he penetrated her. She cried and bit down on her shirt, tears running down the side of her face and into the dirt as he raped her.

She was sore, exhausted, and covered in sweat after he finished with her the second time. He'd been rough enough with her to cause abrasions to form on the side of her face. Her whole body shook as she listened to him getting dressed behind her. She brought her knees up under her torso, afraid to let herself relax completely.

She could hear his footsteps approaching her. He went down on one knee beside her head and pushed her hair out of her face. She avoided making eye contact with him as his finger traced her face from cheek to jawline.

She flinched as he touched her shoulder and followed the curve of her arm to her wrists. She let out a low, muffled moan as he untied her hands. Her arms were numb and fell limply to her sides.

He removed the shirt from her mouth and touched her face again. "It's been a pleasure…at least for me. We'll be seeing each other again, Lyra. I promise." He rose, took a couple of steps, and disappeared into the night.

Lyra tried to move, dragging first her left arm then her right beside her head. It was incredibly painful and she let out a cry. She slowly lifted her head, and pain shot down her neck. She winced and gritted her teeth as she pushed herself up to her elbows, then sat back on her knees. She looked over towards the camp. Cloud was still there, sleeping.

The brook was over to her right, and all she could think about was washing Kadaj off of her. She struggled to get on her feet. Her legs were wobbly and she fell over, barely able to catch her weight with her hands. She gave herself a minute to regain her balance and tried again. Slowly she was able to stand, her legs shaking uncontrollably beneath her. She stumbled into the water.

It was cold, but she didn't care. She just wanted Kadaj and all traces of him to be gone. She didn't want Cloud to see her like this. She lowered herself clumsily into the water and wished she could be invisible. She started scooping water over her body and using sand from the bottom to scrub herself. No matter what she did, he was still there. She didn't feel like she could get him off her body, or out of her mind. She wanted to cry, but there were no more tears.

She hadn't realized it, but her cries and the splashing of water rousted Cloud from his slumber. He looked around the small camp and noticed Lyra wasn't there. He rolled over to his side and lifted himself up on his elbow. He wasn't high enough to see over the brush, so he got up on his knees and peeked over.

He saw Lyra in the brook, furiously scrubbing and splashing water over herself. Cloud knew something wasn't right. She wouldn't have just left her watch for a random bath. He watched for a few minutes until he could stand it no longer. Her desperation disturbed him, and he decided to take the blanket and go to her.

He called her softly from the bank, but she didn't acknowledge him. He watched her desperation become frustration as she continued scrubbing her skin with wet sand. He called to her again, raising his voice slightly, but still he went unnoticed. He couldn't let her keep going like she was, and waded into the water.

He called to her again, not wanting to surprise her, and touched her on the shoulder. She let out a scream and turned around so quickly that she nearly fell into the water. Cloud caught her by the shoulders, helping her to remain standing. Lyra had a startled, terrified look on her face and covered herself with her arms. He noticed the scratches on her face and the marks on her wrists.

"Lyra, what happened?" He reached up to touch her face, but she jerked her chin away. "Hey," he said in a calming voice. "It's me. I'm not going to hurt you. No one is going to hurt you."

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. She was shaking visibly, partly from exhaustion and partly from the cold water. She watched him slowly and carefully reach up to her face again. She wasn't sure if she wanted him touching her. His voice was soft and soothing.

"It's okay, Lyra. It's me." He gently put his hand on her shoulder. "Come on. You're going to freeze if you stay in here. Let's get you warm." He guided her to the bank and wrapped the blanket around her. He started walking her over to the fire, but she broke away and headed toward the area where her clothing still lay.

She hesitated, staring at the small indentations in the ground; indentations made by her knees. A chill went down her spine as Cloud stopped next to her. He quietly surveyed the scene, feeling anger grow in his gut. He'd been sleeping only a couple hundred yards away, but heard nothing. He had failed to help her. He picked up her clothes and guided her back to the camp.

Lyra was quiet as Cloud helped her dry off and get warm again. He turned his back as she got dressed, giving her as much privacy as he could without letting her out of his sight.

"You can turn around." She said flatly when she finished dressing. She was sitting down beside the fire, gently rocking back and forth. She had wrapped the blanket back around her, pulling it tight. She had thrown her blouse and pants into the fire. Cloud sat down beside her. She sat, unflinching, without looking at him.

"It was Kadaj," she started. "He did this to me, and I couldn't stop him. I couldn't even scream." Her voice was hushed and monotone. A breeze gently shook the leaves in the trees above, sending Lyra into a near panic. She frantically looked around her, waiting for something, someone, him, to jump out at her. It even put Cloud on his guard.

"We have to leave here." Lyra got up and walked over to her pack. Cloud thought she was going to put it on. Instead, she opened it and took out the vial and syringe again. Nervously, she prepared the injection.

"Lyra, don't." She was shaking so horribly that Cloud was afraid she'd break the needle under her skin.

"I didn't take enough. If I'd given myself a full dose, I might have been able to stop him. I won't let him hurt me again. I won't let him hurt you!" She jabbed the needle into her thigh and depressed the plunger. She drew out the needle as she went down to her knees.

Cloud sprinted to her, catching her just before she went down completely. He let her collapse with her head in his lap. The tears started to flow freely from her eyes as he held her.

"I couldn't stop him. I couldn't do anything." She sobbed. Cloud stroked her hair and patiently allowed her to cry until she was done.

"This isn't your fault, Lyra. You didn't ask for this. But, you're right. We need to leave. There's no telling where he is, and we shouldn't take any chances." He helped her get up and gather their things.

Cloud wasn't sure what kind of game Kadaj was playing, but he was sure that Kadaj knew where they were going. Instead of heading directly to Midgar and Edge, he decided they should head in a more westerly direction. They were going to Nibelheim.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5**_

Kadaj had been watching. He derived great pleasure in hurting Lyra, now he wanted to witness the aftermath. He wanted to see just how much damage he'd inflicted on both of them.

He'd hidden himself carefully in the shadows of the treetops, perched like a bird of prey. He could only smile evilly as Lyra bathed, and he felt a perverse sense of accomplishment. He took pride in knowing that what he did to her cut into Cloud's very soul.

What he wasn't expecting to see was Lyra injecting herself with J-cells, and it angered him even more. _You little bitch! How dare you? Neither one of you should've been given Mother's cells. You aren't worthy of her legacy, you aren't remnants. You'll never understand our kind. Oh, how I wish Yazoo and Loz were here. The things we could do to our big brother and little sister. _He had been planning on her degeneration to slow their flight and weaken her. He wanted the opportunity to kill Cloud before her eyes. Now his plans would have to wait. _But, they will pay soon enough. They will ALL pay!_

He was sure that at some point they would head for Midgar, so he wasn't worried about losing them. He turned back to return to Nazaria. It was more important for him to report this unexpected bit of news, and he craved the opportunity to rub another of Tseng's failures in his face.

He moved swiftly. Tseng would be waiting impatiently for his return and Lyra's decoy magic had delayed him by a day. Being a remnant, sleep was of little consequence. Kadaj required only what amounted to short naps of two or three hours to be completely rested. His endurance allowed him to cover greater distances at a faster pace than his human counterparts. He took full advantage of both, reaching Nazaria in half the time he'd been gone.

He made his way through the maze of corridors leading to the lab and stopping at the training area. His arrival was met with surprised looks, since he almost never went there during sessions anymore. He immediately sought out Grayson, who was flirting mercilessly with another female SOLDIER trainee. It didn't surprise Kadaj.

He expected that Lyra would soon be replaced by some other girl on the sidelines. Kadaj only put up with Grayson's meddling with Lyra because he was ShinRa's right hand, at least for now. For the most part, Kadaj viewed him as a brown nosing, backstabbing letch. Behind his back, he referred to him as "ShinRa's lap dog." _He still has his uses. _Kadaj smiled as he approached, instructing Grayson to summon Tseng for an urgent meeting in his office.

Kadaj stopped at his quarters to shower and change. What he lacked in humanity he more than made up for with his pride and vanity. He wasn't about to pay a visit to Tseng without looking the part.

His quarters were large and well appointed. ShinRa afforded him every luxury available, including servants. At times, he was no more humane to them than he had been with Lyra. Regardless, they greeted him at the door, helping him remove his sword and picking up his leather garments as he dropped them on them on the floor. He showered and redressed quickly, anxious to get on with humiliating Tseng.

Kadaj walked through the corridors to the executive building and took the elevator up to the fourth floor. The halls were dimly lit and empty. He could see a faint light shining under the door as he reached Tseng's office. _No doubt he'll be sitting behind his desk, giving himself delusions of grandeur._

He entered without knocking and there was Tseng, just as predicted. He sipped on a glass of bourbon and motioned for Kadaj to sit, then picked up his phone and called for ShinRa himself to join them saying he had some good news. Kadaj snickered silently as he sat down on the plush couch against the wall.

"So, what do you have for me?" Tseng asked.

"I found them, just as you asked."

"Good! I knew you'd come through for us. Are they in the detention block?"

"No." Kadaj sat back and crossed his legs, a smug smile creeping across his face. "I let them go."

Tseng stood up and pounded the palm of his hand on the desk. "You what? Why didn't you bring them back?"

ShinRa entered just in time to hear Tseng and glared at Kadaj.

"Come now, Tseng." Kadaj replied, "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out where they're going. Don't ruin my fun." He casually crossed the room, stopping in front of the desk and leaning back on it. "Besides, I have a bit of information that might be of interest to both of you."

"What would that be, Kadaj?" asked ShinRa. He was already deeply disappointed that Cloud and Lyra were still on the run.

"Lyra is in possession of J-cells."

ShinRa glared at Tseng and hoped that Kadaj was mistaken. "How do you know that?"

"I saw her inject them myself. Which means that she somehow gained access to the storage area. Who knows what else she was able to access?" Kadaj looked at Tseng, who was once again seated, holding his head in his hands. He liked watching him squirm.

"It's a safe bet that she knows too much. She's probably shared this with Cloud for all we know!" ShinRa furrowed his brow at Tseng. "I told you it was a mistake to pair them up so soon. Thanks to you, Tseng, both experiments have failed. I knew I should've had Cloud put down the minute he was brought in."

Tseng poured more bourbon into his glass and drank it all in one shot. He berated himself for being hasty with Cloud's indoctrination and with the pairing. The last time Cloud had been brought in for experimentation it had taken years to get into his head. His excuse to ShinRa had been that they didn't have years this time around. It had taken them almost two years to get him back, even if it was against his will, and rumors were already flying.

ShinRa looked Kadaj right in his mako green eyes. He wanted to slap the smug look from his boyish face. He wasn't the least bit pleased about this situation. It was a colossal mistake that could cost him everything. It was bad enough that the two of them had escaped and made worse by the news that Lyra was able to steal J-cells. _She was able to take them and apparently no one was the wiser until now. Heads will roll for this!_

"You," ShinRa started, continuing to look Kadaj in the eyes. "Will go after them and find them. You will not let them go this time and I don't care if it ruins all your fun. I don't care what you do with Cloud, but you are to bring Lyra back here. Bring her back in one, preferably living piece. Is that understood?"

Kadaj pushed himself away from the desk and stood face to face with ShinRa. "Oh, I think I understand." He said in a somewhat sarcastic tone as he half bowed. He knew how to push ShinRa's already sensitive buttons.

ShinRa moved to the side and let Kadaj pass. He watched as he strolled across the room and exited. His attention then turned to Tseng, whom had an idea of what was coming.

"Because of your impatience and arrogance, we'll have to move ahead with our plans a little more quickly." He yelled at Tseng. "I want you to find out how in the hell that girl was able to take J-cells without being noticed. I also want you to audit the keycard entries for all the secured access doors. We need to find out exactly what she knows."

"I'll get right on it, sir." Tseng replied sheepishly.

ShinRa headed for the door, stopping to turn right in front of it. "And Tseng…"

"Yes, sir?"

"I'm holding you personally responsible for all of this; for your inexcusable lack of security, for convincing me to run experiments on Cloud again, for pairing Cloud and Lyra too soon, for letting them escape, and for not giving Kadaj orders to bring them back immediately. Don't let me down again, Tseng, or your head will be the first on the chopping block." He snapped himself around and walked out the door, slamming it behind him hard enough to make the walls shake.

Kadaj gloated all the way through the executive building. He'd been given permission to carry out at least one of things he wanted to do most; kill Cloud Strife. He really wanted to kill both of them, but was satisfied with this small victory.At the intersection between the executive building and the quarters, he paused. Instead of going down the corridor, he decided to make a detour and turned right.

At the end of the corridor was a special guarded chamber. There were two uniformed guards at the door who snapped to attention as Kadaj approached. They allowed him access without questioning him.

He stepped inside, greeted by the soft, warm glow of mako emitted from a solitary tube. He looked down plaintively and touched it, caressing the glass under his fingers. Kadaj knew only two real loves in his life; Mother and Sephiroth, the man encased before him.

He admired the strength and power that Sephiroth possessed. It pained him to think about what Cloud had done to him and to both of them. Genetic engineering ensured that this time would be different. _It won't be long. Mother calls to us to avenge her and I will avenge you, my lord. I swear that Cloud Strife will pay dearly for all the damage done to us. And once Lyra has served her purpose, it will give me great honor and pleasure to have you watch while I torture her to death in your name._

He smiled at the thought and ran through a list of things he wanted to do to her as he headed back to his quarters. Although he wouldn't admit it, there had been a time when he thought fondly of Lyra.

They hadn't been formally introduced yet, but they knew of each other. He had spent more time in the training center then, and she was still an apprentice. He had watched many of her training sessions and was impressed by her quick progression. Her grace and agility caught his eye, in addition to her beauty. She was an excellent strategist, a skilled fighter, and a rising magician. In many ways, he saw her as a female version of himself.

They were both aware that they were destined to be paired and to do "great things together." However, Kadaj's attraction slowly disintegrated shortly after their introduction. He discovered that she wasn't actually one of Mother's children, but a genetically altered human. It was also discovered that he could never produce offspring, at least not in the traditional sense. Their only connection was J-cells, which Lyra was incapable of producing naturally.

Kadaj's inability to naturally produce children presented an unusual situation, and after many heated debates with ShinRa, Tseng and Grayson convinced him to conduct another experiment. An executive decision was made to pair Lyra with Cloud and then inject Kadaj's genetic material into the growing fetus. It was similar to the experiment performed on Lyra's mother years ago. Up to this point, that experiment had been deemed a success.

Kadaj was just as livid as he was insulted by the decision. He began to look at Lyra as nothing more than an abomination unworthy of his attention, let alone what little affection he had for anything. Still, he had an uncontrollable desire to possess her. It was bad enough that he'd felt humiliated being paired with an altered human, but having her paired with his worst enemy because of his shortcoming brought him untold amounts of dishonor. He also noticed that her attitude began to change in subtle ways not too long after she began working on Cloud's indoctrination and training. He hated both them and he wasn't about to lose face over the likes of either one.

He let his anger well up inside him and his stroll turned into a purposeful march. Back in his quarters, he ordered his servants to begin packing some of his things for the impending journey. He needed to sort things out in his head and rest before leaving.

_I've rattled little sister's cage, but yours is probably only slightly shaken, Cloud, _he thought to himself as he looked over a map on the table. _I told ShinRa and Tseng that you were going to Midgar, and at some point you probably will. But, now you've more than likely changed course. _His finger coursed over the map, tracing possible routes.

_Lyra doesn't know the world above and she probably isn't thinking straight right now. I'm betting that you decided to go west, through the Wastelands. Perhaps to Corel or Nibelheim? There are plenty of small villages along the way, but strangers would be easily noticed. You packed lightly, so you'll have to stop sometime, whether you want to or not and I will find you. I'll find you and a new level of Hell will be unleashed on your heads._

He folded the map and placed it in the outside pocket of his pack. He then pulled a large knife from the belt hanging over his chair. He grinned, thinking about what he was going to do to them as he watched the light being reflected from the finely honed blade. His anger had continued to grow steadily and he developed an appetite for the wicked and shocking.

He pulled aside one of the newer servants, a young boy. "Do you see this?" he asked him. The boy nodded his head. "Have you ever seen anything so beautiful, so masterfully crafted?" The frightened child could only watch as Kadaj waved the blade mere inches in front of his face. Without warning, Kadaj grabbed a handful of the boy's blond hair and jerked his head sideways, holding the blade to his neck. _This is what I'll do to you, Cloud._

"Do you suppose that I could cut your head off with it?" he hissed.

"Please…please don't, my lord." The boy pleaded while fear oozed from every pore in his body, and Kadaj reveled in the scent. He took the blade away and released his grip on the boy's hair. Fortune smiled on the boy, for Kadaj wasn't in a killing mood.

"Watch." He instructed as he drew the blade down the length of his palm. Blood streamed from the wound, splashing to the floor. He inspected the blade, noticing the blood on its edge. He lifted it to his mouth and it licked it off from hilt to tip, delighting in the horror it generated. He closed his wounded hand into a fist and waited for a few seconds, the mako glowing brightly in his eyes. When he opened it again, the wound had already healed. He grinned evilly and said, "Go find your mother, you little fucking whelp…if you have one."


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6**_

The sun hung high in the midday sky as Cloud and Lyra got closer to the Wastelands. The air around them was hot and heavy and Cloud was thankful that he'd filled their canteens with water before leaving the camp. The next time they stopped it would have to be near a clean water source. More of his memories were returning and he knew those sources would be few and far between once they left the forest. He'd given thought to having them just follow the brook, but it would eventually go off in a direction he'd rather avoid for a while.

Lyra hadn't said a word since they started this leg of the journey. She kept Cloud's pace, but stayed just behind him. Once in a while, Cloud could hear her trying to hide the fact that she was crying. She was a rollercoaster of emotion; wavering between profound sadness and intense anger. She was constantly watching for any movement, any signs that Kadaj was following. Every rustle of leaves, every tree branch that moved made her jump. She felt vulnerable and she hated it.

Cloud wished that she would walk closer to him for safety sake, but he gave her space and just checked on her every so often. It wouldn't be much longer and they'd stop to rest and eat before entering the Wastelands.

The rustling of leaves and scraping dirt behind him didn't sound right. It was too frequent and loud to be Lyra, so he turned to check on her again. Unusual movement in the trees behind her alerted him that something big had started following them and it was too big to be Kadaj.

Lyra recognized the alarmed look on his face and watched as he drew his sword. She turned, expecting Kadaj, but was met instead by one of the largest creatures she'd ever seen. She hardly had time to draw her sword before it jumped into the clearing.

The Gargantula was the size of a house with eight legs extending from its enormous body. Armor like scales covered its head, abdomen, and legs. Huge fangs protruded from its mouth, moving menacingly and it made a sound that was something between a loud hiss and a rattle.

It jumped toward Lyra, fangs flashing. She managed to strike at it, but hardly did anything more than piss it off. It rose up with four legs in the air, four still on the ground and struck back at her. The force of the blow sent Lyra sailing backwards through the air, hitting the ground and skidding past Cloud. He watched as she lay motionless.

"Lyra!" he cried out. She neither moved nor made a sound.

He turned his attention to the giant arachnid in front of him. Without Lyra, it was going to be a short fight unless he found a vulnerability. Striking at its legs and fangs had already proven pointless, so trying to hit it from above would be fruitless as well.

It half-reared again in an attempt to intimidate its prey, giving Cloud the opportunity to see underneath it while he dodged and parried to avoid being hit. The underside of its head looked like it was covered in a tough, leathery skin, but its abdomen was unprotected. That was the strike zone. Getting to it was an entirely different issue. He'd have to wait until it reared up again, hopefully higher, so he could dart underneath it. All he could do now was try to fend it off as best he could, alone.

A wind started to blow steadily behind him and out of the corner of his eye, he was surprised to see Lyra slowly rise to a standing position with it. He was sure she'd been badly injured. He backed up slowly, careful to defend himself against the eight legged threat. As soon as he was behind her, he realized the wind had stopped. It was coming only from her.

Her eyes were closed as if she were sleeping. In her left hand, she held her sword with the blade directed behind her. Together she slowly raised both arms, her sword arm arching off to her side and her right making a graceful, flowing arch in front of her until they were both parallel to the ground. A stream of concentrated air gathered and swirled around her, then shot out through her hand toward the Gargantula, hitting it with enough force to effectively shock it into paralysis.

Lyra's eyes opened suddenly, burning bright blue with mako, and her free hand turned palm up. Cloud could hear the wind roar past him as it shifted direction just as suddenly, violently coming back at her in a stream of gleaming yellow which instantly enveloped her entire body. The glow intensified briefly and then dissipated. It was over as quickly as it had started, leaving Lyra with an intense look on her face that bordered on evil. She glanced at Cloud and took a defensive stance next to him.

The arachnid hissed back to life, weakened by her magic. In desperation it reared back fully, readying itself for a full on attack and exposed its unarmored abdomen. Both of them lunged in unison, quickly slashing and stabbing at the creature's soft underbelly. They barely managed to get out from underneath before it came crashing down lifelessly to the ground.

Lyra silently walked back to where her pack was, dusting herself off along the way. She stopped for a moment to exam a torn seam on the shoulder of her shirt. From the pack, she produced a cloth and used it to clean the blade of her sword. When she was done, she sheathed it and handed the cloth to Cloud.

He was still somewhat stunned at the feat of magic he'd just witnessed. He'd seen magic in battle before, but not coming from someone who'd been hurt as much as he thought she'd been. He finished cleaning his sword, sheathed it, and put the cloth in the front pocket of her pack.

Still more surprising to him was the fact that she now looked and acted as if nothing had happened. He wasn't sure if it was still a reaction from the recent trauma, or if something else happened to her during the battle. She remained silent as she donned her pack and began trekking forward again.

Cloud caught up to her quickly and they walked quietly side by side for a bit until he couldn't stand it anymore. He had to know what happened.

"Lyra…"

"I'm alright, Cloud." She said, abruptly cutting him off.

"But…how? What in the hell was that?"

She stopped and turned suddenly, looking him right in the eyes. "Do you really want to know?"

"You were hurt pretty bad. I thought you might be dead!"

"I was hurt. As a matter of fact, I was gravely injured and it made me mad, so I stole its life to restore mine. It's as simple as that." She turned and continued walking, leaving Cloud to momentarily stew in her answer.

"Remind me not to piss you off." He said as they walked.

The Wastelands drew closer on the horizon, its boundary marked by the abrupt transition between the tree line and vast, barren desert. They had covered a lot of ground since the morning, but not as much as Cloud had hoped. He wanted to put as much distance as he could between them and Kadaj, but he didn't want to risk traveling at night in the desert. They were both tired and their pace had steadily slowed. He decided it would be better to rest for the night. The Wastelands would wait until morning.

They found a place with suitable cover and a small stream and made camp. They built a small fire and Cloud even managed to catch a rabbit. Together, they sat with only the songs of the night in the background while their dinner roasted on a spit.

The rabbit was a welcome respite to the protein rations, and they feasted on it until there was nothing but bone and gristle left. Their appetites sated, Cloud cleaned up and took a seat next to Lyra.

"I'll take watch tonight." His offer was met by an angry glance. "You're tired. It's been over 48 hours since you last slept."

"I don't need as much sleep as you." She replied.

"You can't keep going like this, Lyra. I need your help and you won't be much good if you're exhausted." She glared at him again. "I need you, Lyra. I need you here with me. I can't do this alone." The anger on her face was replaced by a solemn expression, and she acquiesced with a nod.

She opened her pack and dug out her blanket, which she folded up to use as a pillow, and laid down next to Cloud. He noticed that she still had her sword slung on her back.

"You might sleep more comfortably if you take your sword off, Lyra."

"My mistake was not having it with me last night. I won't let it happen again." She said quietly.

She tried as best she could to get comfortable, but found it difficult. Between fighting the ground and fighting sleep, she only managed to toss and turn. Reluctantly, she sat up and took off the sword, laying it on the ground beside her. She expected Cloud to say something about it, but much to her relief he simply watched as she laid down and tried to get comfortable again.

He gingerly reached down to touch her, being careful not to startle her. She shook slightly, but calmed as he began gently stroking her hair. Slowly she eased her way closer to him, turning her head to look up at him.

"Come here," he said, coaxing her to put her head in his lap.

She hesitated, eventually allowing herself to get comfortable. Cloud felt her physically relax as he kept softly petting her head. He hoped she would go to sleep, but she glanced up at him again, as if she were checking to make sure it was still him. He followed her gaze to the sword, watching as she lightly ran her fingers up and down the ornately decorated sheath.

"Where did you get it?" Cloud asked her.

"It was gifted to me by my father." Lyra let out an audible sigh.

It was clear that he'd accidentally hit a nerve, and he wished he hadn't asked. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to dredge up any bad memories."

"It's all right," she whispered. Deep inside, she knew that Cloud hadn't meant any harm. She was already a jumble of emotions and the question opened up an entirely different floodgate.

She hadn't spoken of her family in years. Memories of her father seemed so distant now. For a short time, they lived a relatively quiet life in a remote village outside of Wutai. The day he gave her the sword was one of her best memories of him. They had made a special trip to Wutai to pay a visit to one of the old sword smiths. Her father had commissioned him to forge it just for her. She was told that she wouldn't be able to wield it until she was older of course, but she remembered staring at it in awe and feeling special. It was only a short time later that her father died. That was the worst memory of her life.

He went to Wutai that morning for supplies. Day turned into evening, and evening into night without his return. A party was sent out the next morning, but they found nothing. A few days later, the village was destroyed by a raiding party and the survivors, including Lyra, were taken to Nazaria.

She knew nothing of her mother except that she had died in childbirth. Her father always told her that with the exception of her blue eyes she looked just like her. It was hard for him to talk about her, and he usually didn't say much more than that.

The truth was much more ominous than that. According to the archives, Hito Matsura had once been a top ShinRa executive, responsible for overseeing the reconstruction of ShinRa Energy and hundreds of employees. He and his wife, Kiko, lead a comfortable and privileged life. There was only one thing they were missing; they didn't have any children.

Kiko had been pregnant on three previous occasions. All three had ended in painful miscarriages. They had nearly given up on having their own children when they were approached by ShinRa himself.

ShinRa explained that he had a team of scientists who were on the verge of being able to create genetically strong, healthy children. He reasoned that her mother miscarried because the fetuses were somehow flawed. What he promised was a chance for them to finally have a family. What he offered was hope.

When she was pregnant again, she became the test subject for ShinRa's scientific team. Genetic materials were injected directly into the growing fetus with the hope that it would eliminate any defects or disease. For the first time, she was able to carry past the third month.

But, the side effects were unexpected as well as unprecedented. She suffered horrible bouts of morning sickness that required medication and frequent re-hydration. She also experienced incredible amounts of pain caused by the unexpected acceleration of the fetus's growth.

A normal pregnancy should have taken nine months, but Kiko was at term in a little over five. She went into an agonizing labor that lasted over two days. The pregnancy and the labor had put so much strain on her body that she hemorrhaged and her vital organs began to shut down. She died a few hours after Lyra was born. Hito was left to celebrate the birth of his daughter, and mourn the loss of his wife at the same time.

Lyra's miraculously accelerated growth didn't stop outside the womb. In a little over a year and a half, she'd attained the size and intellect of a three year old. Hito knew that even with being genetically altered, it wasn't normal and started doing some research of his own. When he found out that Lyra had been injected with genetic material harvested from Jenova, he was appalled. ShinRa obviously had ulterior motives, none of which involved caring about what happened to him or his wife.

He blamed them, and especially Rufus, for what he considered to be the murder of his wife, and there was no telling what they wanted to do with Lyra. Regardless, he was determined to protect her. Feeling angry and betrayed, he took his daughter and left the ShinRa Corporation. His escape, especially with such a valued piece of property, infuriated Rufus.

The Turks were given orders to find Hito, kill him, and bring back the child unharmed. Rufus didn't care what they had to do to carry out the orders, even if it meant destroying an entire village.

Her abnormal growth caused incredible amounts of pain, and ShinRa took full advantage of it during her re-education and training. Non-compliance meant torture and suffering. Obedience, loyalty, and willingness brought relief. Her growth stopped at a physical age of about 19, and by then she was a full fledged, devout member of SOLDIER.

ShinRa had been careful to shield her from the world above, and made every attempt to rid her of the childhood memories before her return to Nazaria. He took no chances with his prized possession, and so she was denied access to anything that could bring back those reminders. She was lead to believe that the attack on the village was the result of warring tribes, and that her father was killed by monsters.

_I will avenge my parents, ShinRa. You and everything associated with you shall be the retribution for their deaths, and for all of the lives you have destroyed in your quest for power. _She let this one thought play repeatedly in her mind as she drifted off to sleep in Cloud's lap.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7**_

_**Detour through the Wastelands**_

Night went by uneventfully, and Cloud was greeted by a brilliant red and orange sunrise that peeked through the trees, bringing with it a promise of peace that he knew was fleeting. He coaxed Lyra from her slumber and together they choked down protein rations for their breakfast.

Lyra packed their things and cleared the camp while Cloud refilled their canteens with fresh water. He knew it would be a while before they'd be filled again, so they'd have to make them last.

They headed off again towards the west, and after walking a short distance entered the Wastelands. The parched, barren land sprawled out before them, dotted by sparse, dry vegetation. In the distance, heat rose from the ground in waves that distorted everything beyond it.

Lyra was surprised by the vast and seemingly endless emptiness before her. She had heard about it, but never imagined it to look anything like it did. She wondered how people ever managed to find their way through it without getting lost. With the exception of a line of hills to the right, everything looked the same in every direction.

They began walking in the direction of the hills. They seemed so far away, and the heat rising from the desert ground created the illusion of them moving further back in the distance. _Going forward in reverse, _Cloud thought to himself.

They continued on, with Cloud setting a steady, but carefully timed pace. This would be a horrible place to be overcome by exhaustion. He pulled out his canteen and took a small sip of water, encouraging Lyra to do the same.

The sun climbed higher in the sky as they walked. By midday, the heat was stifling. Perspiration covered both of them and soaked through their clothes. Cloud had taken a shirt from his pack and wrapped it around his head. Lyra followed suit.

Neither had any idea how long they'd been traveling. Time seemed pointless in this place, and Lyra found herself fighting against a growing sense of despair. The only thing that kept her going was the occasional, coaxing glance from Cloud.

Cloud stopped suddenly, looking ahead of them. "Look," he said.

Lyra saw very slight, but noticeable ruts in the ground. "What is that?"

"It looks like a road of some sort. It may not be well traveled, but it has to go somewhere." He looked off to his left, where the road seemed to go and started following it. "Let's see where this takes us."

It began to cool off slightly as the sun began to dip in the sky. Cloud realized they were still out in the open and hoped they'd come across a village or some place with shelter soon. Behind him, he heard the high whine and grumble of an engine.

Both he and Lyra turned, looking at the swirl of dust being created in the distance. Silently, the both hoped it wasn't a ShinRa vehicle, or worse, Kadaj. Instinctively, Cloud reached up and put his hand on the hilt of his sword. There was no place for them to run or hide, and he wasn't taking any chances.

The vehicle drew closer, revealing itself to be an old yellow truck. Still not willing to risk anything, Cloud kept his hand on the hilt, ready to draw at the first hint of trouble. The truck roared past them, and then suddenly skidded to a halt.

The driver glanced in his rear view mirror, and then stuck his head out of the window, giving the strange pair a curious look. He slammed the truck into reverse and stopped again beside them.

"What're you two doin' out here? Ya lost?" he asked, eyeing Cloud suspiciously, and then looking at Lyra.

Cloud let his hand fall to his side. "Not exactly." He answered suspiciously.

The driver looked them over again, noticing the tell-tale signs that they had been walking for quite some time. They were exhausted, dirty, and sun beaten. The village was another 30 miles away and there was no way they'd get there by walking before nightfall. The desert was no place for anyone after dark.

"Well, ya don't look like none of them ShinRa bastards, so get in the back and I'll give ya a ride. I'm goin' as far as Faer'diel and ya ain't gonna make there by walking 'for the night sets in. You'll be safer there than ya are out here."

Cloud and Lyra looked at each other. Cloud especially knew the driver was right, and he seemed sincere enough. With a nod of his head, he thanked the man and jumped in the back, offering a hand to help Lyra climb in after him.

They shrugged off their packs and settled in across from each other as the man put the truck back into gear and started driving. This turned out to be a blessing, because it would get them closer to their destination, and put them further ahead of Kadaj.

Both of them relaxed as the desert whizzed past them. The wind blowing on them brought a welcomed relief from the heat. Cloud found himself staring out at the nothingness as it faded behind them. _Zack...this is just like when we made our trip so long ago. I haven't thought about that in a long time. You saved my life back then. I guess now it's my turn to do the same for Lyra. I really miss you, buddy. Say hello to Aerith for me. _He hanged his head and looked down at the bed of the truck. A slight smile crossed his face as his thoughts drifted back to that place in time.

"Are you remembering something?" Lyra asked.

Cloud looked up at her, still somewhat stuck in the past. "Huh?"

"You've got this far off look on your face, as if you're somewhere else."

He paused for a minute, taking in the memory. "Yeah," he said. "I remember doing this before with someone else…" his voice trailed off. "And I remembered another friend of ours." He looked off in the distance again.

"Oh," Lyra said. "Friends who are no longer here with you."

"No, they aren't here anymore. I wish they were. They both saved me at different times in my life."

She could see it was a bittersweet memory for him and she could empathize with him. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"Maybe it would be better if I did, since I haven't talked about it."

"What happened?"

After a few moments, he answered. "Zack and I were both injured during the Nibelheim incident. Sephiroth nearly killed both of us. We were taken to a lab run by a scientist who worked for Rufus' father. He performed horrible experiments on us. Zack somehow managed to escape and took me with him. We were on our way to Midgar, riding in the back of a truck just like you and I are now, when he was murdered by the Turks. He put his body in front of mine and took a bullet for me."

Cloud paused again, taking in a deep breath and slowly releasing it. "Aerith…Aerith was murdered by Sephiroth. He struck her down while she was praying to save the planet. I lived with the guilt of both their deaths for a very long time. When the planet was stricken with Geostigma, I was infected. At the time, I wished it would've killed me."

"But you were healed by the rain." Lyra interjected.

"Yes, the healing rain that cured the Stigma and gave me the strength to confront Kadaj and Sephiroth. Even after their defeat, Kadaj's brothers nearly killed me. I know this will sound crazy, but I was met by Aerith and Zack on the other side. I guess it wasn't my time because they sent me back here."

"That doesn't sound crazy. It sounds like they loved you. They were your good fortune and I wish I could have met them." She reached out and put her hand over his.

Cloud closed his eyes and allowed his mind to wander into other memories. Remembering Zack and Aerith had a sort of domino effect, leading from one memory to the next until all of the people he loved and cared about were firmly back in place; Vincent, Cid, Yuffie, Barrett, and more importantly Tifa, Denzel, and Marlene.

He missed them more than ever now and wondered how they were doing. It was still unclear how long he'd been missing and he wondered how much the kids had grown. He wondered if Tifa had moved on from him or if she was still waiting for him.

Before he had disappeared they had actually become a real couple, a family. Although he really cared for Lyra, he now felt guilty over his near infidelity with her. He found himself wanting more than anything to get back home so he could be reunited with his family and hold Tifa in his arms again.

It wasn't long before the truck pulled into the small village of Faer'diel and came to a halt in front a small cottage. The driver turned off the engine and jumped out, thumping the sides of the truck.

"This here's my stop," he announced. "I'd be all hospitable and invite you in, but the missus probably wouldn't like unexpected guests."

Cloud and Lyra grabbed their packs and jumped out to the ground. "It's probably just as well," Cloud said. "We're still grateful for the ride. Thank you."

"There's a little hostel up the street," the man said as he pointed. "You might find a room and a meal there." He handed Cloud a small pouch. "You look like you need this more than I do. It's not much." Cloud opened it, revealing a handful of gil.

"We thank you again for your kindness" Lyra said as the pair began walking up the street.

They passed by a row of houses and a couple of shops before they saw the sign announcing the hostel. Cloud tried the door. It opened easily and they stepped inside. It was quiet and empty except for a lone girl sitting behind the counter. She looked up at the pair and greeted them.

Cloud paid for a room and ordered food, asking that it be brought up to them. The girl was more than happy to comply, handing him a key and running back to the kitchen to place their order.

Exhausted, dirty, and hungry, they trudged up the stairs finding their room just down the hallway. Cloud put the key in the lock, turning it until he heard the drum fall, then he turn the knob and let the door swing open.

It wasn't a large or well appointed room by any means, but it was adequate. There were two twin sized beds separated by a small nightstand, a small table with two chairs, and a bathroom with a shower.

A shower was just what both of them needed right now. As they shrugged off their packs, Cloud told Lyra to shower first while he waited for their food to arrive. He did this for two reasons; first because he was trying to play the part of the gentleman, and secondly, because he wanted to check the place out just in case there was any trouble.

The room had one window that opened outward from the middle. He wasn't exactly pleased about that, but it did have a deep, hinged lock. The door had a locking knob, as well as a dead bolt above it that secured quite well.

He stepped out into the narrow hallway, leaving the door ajar just a bit. The building was small enough that there seemed to be only one staircase. He assumed that there would only be two doorways downstairs; the main entrance and another door in the kitchen area.

Partially satisfied, he stepped back inside the room and locked the door behind him. He sat on the bed closest to the door and leaned back against the headboard. Hopefully, they could both get some rest tonight. There was still a long way to go, and detouring to avoid Kadaj was making it even longer.

Before long, there was a knock at the door. "I brought your food!" a little voice announced from the other side. Cloud opened the door and carefully peeked around it. There stood the same girl who had been at the counter downstairs.

"Thanks," he said as he pulled the door open wider. "If you don't mind, can you bring it in and set it on the table?"

Without a second thought, she entered bearing the tray and sat it gently on the table. She even made the extra effort of setting out the plates and flatware as though she were waiting tables at some fancy restaurant.

"This is a nice little place you've got here." Cloud said.

"Yeah, my parents built it. It's sort of a family thing. I help out with cookin' and cleanin' and stuff. My brother helps out sometimes, too when he's not workin' the oil rigs. We don't get many visitors, so he brings in money to help us."

"I bet it gets lonely, especially at night. I'd hate to be the one waiting at the counter all night for someone to check in. I think I'd get bored real quick." Cloud replied.

"Nah. We close the place up at night. Daddy figures if someone comes 'round that late at night, they can knock on the door and he'll come a runnin'. No sense in waitin' up for nobody."

She finished laying out the table and picked up her tray to leave. Cloud stopped her outside the door and handed her a couple of gil. Her face beamed so brightly that it could've lit up a city block. "Geez! Thanks a lot, mister. If you want anything else, you just come see me!"

"I might just do that, since you've been so nice." He watched her skip down the hall and disappear down the stairs. He hated being so sly with her, but was relived that they locked up at night. Although it wouldn't stop anyone from getting to them, it certainly gave them a slight advantage.

Lyra came out of the bathroom dressed in a long kimono and her hair wrapped in a towel. The smell of food made her stomach growl audibly, and Cloud tried to stifle a snicker. She narrowed her eyes at him playfully and sat down at the table.

They ate quietly, both of them too tired and too hungry to make conversation. When they finished, Cloud headed off for a quick shower. By the time he came back out, Lyra was already fast asleep with her sword in the bed next to her. He propped his against the nightstand and laid down, drifting off into a fitful sleep.

He woke while it was still dark and sat up on the side of the bed. Lyra was still asleep. She looked so peaceful that it was hard to believe how much she'd been through. Cloud wished they could both find that much peace in their lives and his thoughts turned toward his home and family again. He stayed awake reminiscing until the sun came up. He decided to go downstairs, order some breakfast, and see if maybe they could hitch a ride to Nibelheim.

The same girl greeted him at the counter, quickly taking his order and running back to the kitchen. She came back up front where Cloud was still waiting.

"There something else I can get for you?" she asked, flirting with him.

"I was wondering is there was anyway my friend and I could get a ride to Nibelheim?" Cloud leaned on the counter and flirted back with her.

"Nibelheim? Whatcha wanna go there for?" Her eyes opened wide and she looked shocked. "Nobody goes there anymore unless they're workin' for ShinRa or doin' business with 'em. It don't look like you're doin' neither."

"We're not. Actually, we're just trying to get home."

"Where ya from?"

"Midgar." He waited for another unfavorable reaction from her.

"Oh! I'd love to visit there someday! I think my brother is heading up to North Corel today. I could ask if he'd give ya a ride."

"I'd appreciate that and we'd be grateful for the lift." He gave her a wink and went back upstairs.

Going to North Corel would mean backtracking slightly, but it would get them closer to Midgar. If they were lucky, it might even throw Kadaj off their trail for a little longer. _If you're smiling up there, give us just a little more distance, just a little more time for me to get home and get everyone together._

Lyra was just waking up as he entered their room. She wiped the sleep from her eyes and sat on the edge of the bed. "Where did you go?"

"I ordered some breakfast and hopefully found us a ride."

"A ride to Nibelheim?" She asked.

"No. It looks like we need to head to North Corel. Nibelheim is apparently overrun by ShinRa and his associates."

"How do you know that?"

"A certain girl downstairs has a crush and not many people to talk to." Cloud smiled slyly, and Lyra giggled a little bit. Cloud was glad to hear it from her.

A short time later there was a knock and Cloud opened the door. The girl stood proudly, bearing a tray filled with pastries, eggs, bacon, sausages, and fresh coffee. This time she didn't wait for an invitation. Instead, she headed straight for the table, setting out the plates and pouring coffee into the cups.

"My brother said he's goin' back to the oil fields today, and you can ride with him to North Corel," she announced as she was leaving. "He's leavin' in a couple hours. You can just meet him downstairs." She left before either Cloud or Lyra could say anything.

They ate breakfast at a leisurely pace, taking advantage of the chance to relax. When they finished, Cloud gathered their things while Lyra dressed. He noticed the spark in her eye when she came out of the bathroom, and hoped she was coming back to herself.

Downstairs the girl introduced them to her brother. Cloud offered him the last of their gil, but he declined saying that their company was payment enough. There wasn't much to look at during the drive, and having someone to talk to would make it go by much quicker. Once they got to North Corel they might be able to catch a transport to Costa del Sol or Kalm and get to Midgar from there.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8**_

_**The Scent of Prey**_

Kadaj entered the Wastelands and pointed his motorbike in the direction of Nibelheim. He was a little over a day behind Cloud and Lyra, but he wasn't concerned. As far as he knew, they were still on foot and he had plenty of time.

He kicked the bike into high gear, creating a swirl of dust behind him. He liked this bike much better than the last ones he and his brothers had stolen. It was lighter, faster, and incredibly quiet. He put in his earbuds and turned on his mp3 player to quell the rush of wind in his head, replacing it with the rhythmic pounding of drums and electric guitars. The music he listened to was a dark as his heart, putting him even more in the mood for the hunt.

Miles of desert fell behind him and he soon found himself in Faer'diel. People eyed him suspiciously as he parked his bike outside the hostel. He decided it was a good place to take a break and ask if anyone had seen the strangers he was seeking.

He asked the first few people he saw on the street, showing them file pictures of Cloud and Lyra. No one recalled having seen them, and he went inside the hostel. He showed the photos to the few people seated in the dining area, but they hadn't seen them, either.

He saw a girl behind the counter and started to approach her, but she ducked into the kitchen before he could get to her. A minute later an older woman came out to greet him. He asked her and got the same response, "Ain't seen 'em."

"What about your daughter? Maybe she saw them?" He lifted his chin toward the child as she stood in the doorway. Her mother turned to look at her.

"Have ya seen 'em?" she asked her daughter.

"Nope." Her daughter answered curtly before going back in the kitchen.

"You heard 'er. She ain't seen 'em." The woman watched as a frustrated Kadaj walked back out to his bike. He pulled out his cell phone, made a call, then mounted the bike and left.

The girl had been watching, too. When she thought Kadaj had left, she grabbed her mother's cell phone and went out in the alley. She pressed a couple of buttons and put the phone to her ear. It rang a few times before a male voice answered.

"What's up, mom?"

"It's not mom. It's Kimiko."

"Kimmie, is everything all right?"

"I don't know. Some strange man was just here lookin' for those people you got ridin' with ya."

"Did he say why he was lookin' for 'em?" He glanced over at Cloud and Lyra.

They both knew it could only mean that Kadaj wasn't as far behind them as they thought. Lyra nervously put her hand on Cloud's leg and he placed his hand over hers in an effort to reassure her. He was just as nervous, but all they could do was wait.

"No, but he seemed kinda mad because I told 'im I never saw 'em. Seems like he wanted to find 'em real bad. I think he was one of them ShinRa guys. He had gray hair and he really scared me. Please be careful."

"Well, don't you worry. I'll take care of this and I'll call ya later."

He shut the phone and put it back in its charger. He looked over at the couple sitting beside him and with a sigh said, "I guess you guys are in some sorta trouble?"

They could only look at each other. Cloud could see the fear crossing Lyra's face. He turned to face the driver and finally said, "Someone is after us."

"I see," he replied. "Who ya runnin' from?"

"It's a long story," Cloud answered. "But his name is Kadaj. ShinRa sent him to kill us. He's bad news and we have to get to Midgar before he catches us."

"Most folks 'round here can't stand ShinRa. He's a dirty son of a bitch. Rumor has it that all the people disappearin' is 'cause of him."

"It's not a rumor. It's the truth and you've got two people sitting here as proof. That's why he wants us dead." Cloud went on to tell their story, as unbelievable as it was, while their driver listened in awe and disgust.

Kadaj drove a short distance down the block and parked his bike on a side street. He had a feeling that the girl knew more than she was letting on. He had watched her through the window while he pretended to make a call and saw her run into the alley.

Deftly, he jumped to the top of the building and made his way back along the rooftops, stopping at the top of the hostel. He listen in as the girl made her call, feeling the rage build inside him.

He jumped down behind her as she snapped the phone shut. Before she even knew what was happening, he had his hand clasped tightly on her mouth and his knife at her throat.

"So, you lied to me." He whispered in her ear. "I guess I forgot to mention that I really hate lying. But, you can make it up to me. Would you like to know how?" He waited for her to nod her head. "Tell me where they went and tell me quietly, because it's very important that I find them."

He slowly released his hand from her mouth, making sure that he could cover it quickly again if she screamed. He pressed the knife more tightly to her neck, causing a small amount of blood to well underneath it.

"They went with my brother." She answered.

"Where? Where is he taking them?" he insisted, pressing the knife even harder.

"North Corel. They're goin' to North Corel."

"Damn it! When did they leave?"

"A couple of hours ago." Tears began rolling down her cheeks.

Kadaj grabbed her by the hair and forced her head forward. In a single, effortless stroke, he drew the knife across her throat, slicing it cleanly open. He held her up and watched the blood drain from her body until she became limp, then he casually let go of her hair and watched her body fall to the ground. _Liars deserve to die._

As he drove out of Faer'diel, Cloud and Lyra were just arriving in North Corel. Their story had such an impact on their driver that he decided to help them as much as he could. He was going to be heading to an off-shore site to the north of Kalm, and he would ask the pilot if he could give them a ride to Midgar.

He parked next to the transport dock and approached the pilot while Cloud and Lyra waited inside the truck. They could see both of them looking and occasionally pointing in their direction.

After several tense minutes, he came back with news that the pilot agreed to let them board, but he could only take them to Kalm. His tight schedule and the fact that Midgar was still in the process of rebuilding prevented him from being able to do anything else. Cloud accepted the offer and they gathered their things and boarded. A flight to Kalm still put them that much closer to home. _Just keep smiling on us up there, will you?_

"How far is Midgar from Kalm?" Lyra asked as she settled into her seat.

Cloud secured their gear in the overhead bins and took a seat next to her. "If we don't find a ride, it could be a couple of days. We'll have to see what we can do once we get there."

The transport began to shake a little as it began to lift off the ground. Lyra looked at Cloud nervously and he took her hand in his to reassure her. "Look," he said, pointing to outside the window.

They watched as the ground fell further beneath them until the transport stopped in midair and hovered for a second. They could hear the engines turning and then the transport began to move forward, departing North Corel with a flash of swirling energy.

"Do you want somethin' to drink maybe?" Standing beside them was the man who'd given them a ride. Cloud looked at Lyra and then nodded.

They both got out of their seats and followed the man to the galley. He motioned for them to help themselves while he poured some water into a glass.

"I never introduced myself. I'm Isamu."

"It's good to finally have a name to go with the face." Cloud said as he introduced himself and Lyra.

They went back to their seats, spending the rest of the flight talking and getting to know each other. Isamu had been working the oil rigs for a couple of years. It was hard work and he was frequently away from his family, but the pay was more than enough to support them.

He had tried on several occasions to get them to move to North Corel, but they wouldn't hear of it. They preferred to live in Faer'diel away from the hustle and bustle of city life and city folk. Once a month, he made the drive home to spend a few days with them and help out around the hostel.

Although he didn't know all of Cloud and Lyra's story, what he had been told was enough to make him spring into action to help. Isamu was certainly no supporter of ShinRa and now he had even more reason to hate him and his company.

As the transport landed in Kalm, Isamu swore his friendship to them and gave them his phone number. He told them if they ever needed anything, to call him and he would see what he could do. He knew a lot of people, and he might be able to call in some favors.

At the docking station, he made a call to a friend of his who ran supplies to villages in the outskirts. In exchange for Cloud and Lyra helping him load and unload, he would give them a ride to the village of Trier, in between Kalm and Midgar.

Isamu gave them directions to his friends business, bidding them farewell and good luck. They thanked him for everything he'd done, and watched as he boarded the transport once more. So far, their luck seemed to be holding out, and they headed off to their next ride.

Trier was slightly larger than Faer'diel and populated mostly by families of commercial farmers and oil rig workers. Cloud remembered coming here to help clear monsters when it was just a small farming community. _A lot changes over time. I wonder what Edge looks like now._

When they got done unloading the truck, the man who drove them gave Cloud enough gil for them to get a room and a food at the inn. He gave them directions, thanked them for the help, and left. They were on their own again.

For the second night in a row, they would eat real food and sleep in real beds. The inn here was bigger and the rooms more accommodating. Lyra took full advantage of the soaking tub in the bathroom, luxuriating in the hot water.

Midgar was still going to be a days trek. Cloud estimated that if they left early in the morning, they'd be there by mid afternoon. He felt his heart beat faster at the thought of home. He was anxious to see Tifa and the kids and he prayed they would be as happy to see him as he would be to see them.

He stared out the window and watched as the sun dipped below the horizon in a blaze of brilliant reds, pinks, and purple. It was amazing to think of how far they'd come. Reaching Edge, however, would only the end of this journey. Another would begin once they got there, and he knew it was going to be the toughest of all.

Lyra emerged from the bathroom and watched Cloud as he sat contemplating. He looked far off again, but she decided to leave him to his thoughts. She was becoming a little more apprehensive herself the closer they got to Midgar. They were going to Cloud's family, and she wasn't sure how well she'd be received.

For one, she and Cloud had come very close to making love. In light of Cloud's returning memories, this made her the other woman. She loved Cloud, but she didn't like the feeling of being in the middle. A part of her wanted to keep him all to herself, but another wanted to return him to where he belonged; with his family. She didn't want to be the reason his life was torn asunder.

For another, she viewed herself as only being half human. Being genetically engineered made her different, and she was beginning to hate the idea. With the exception of Cloud, she never felt accepted by her fully human counterparts, even back in Nazaria. She wondered how Cloud's family would feel about someone who looked and acted human, but was partially created from Jenova herself. Her creation was nearly identical to Sephiroth's and she feared the implications. He went insane and she wondered if she might suffer the same fate.

She knew that Cloud was aware of Kadaj's ability to feel both Mother and Sephiroth. What she hadn't shared with him was that she too, had this ability. The closer Sephiroth came to being complete, the stronger it became. Whether Kadaj accepted it or not, she still had Jenova stirring within her.

She struggled with it in silence, afraid of being ostracized and abandoned, and terrified of not being able to control it. She dug through her pack and found the last vial of J-cells. ShinRa had sealed her genetic fate. Her J-cell dependency guaranteed that the bond could never be broken.

"How much longer will that last you?" Cloud asked as Lyra stared at the vial.

"Maybe a month if I only give myself half doses," She replied. "But I won't be able to do that for long."

"What happens when you run out?"

"I'll get sick and maybe I'll die. I'm not sure. I've only gone without it for a short while once before." She became quiet and pensive, her thoughts going back to that incident.

It was punishment for being willful and disobedient. She was locked in her room and brought only one small meal a day. When that didn't change her attitude, ShinRa decided to deny her J-cell injections. The first day after missing a treatment, she started getting shaky and having hot flashes. By the third day, she was feverish and nearly unable to get out of bed. Intermittent pain and cramping wracked her body. At the end of the fourth day she was only semi-conscious. Satisfied that she'd learned her lesson, ShinRa ended the punishment and Lyra never let it happen again.

It had been a couple of days since her last treatment. She prepared a half dose and injected herself while Cloud watched. At least it would be enough to get her to Midgar, and then she could give herself the other half.

They ate and settled in for the night. Neither of them really got a good night's sleep and morning came too soon. Both of them were wide awake shortly after dawn broke and they headed downstairs for breakfast before leaving.

The sun was fully over the horizon as they left Trier and started the last leg of the journey. An arid, rocky landscape dotted with vegetation stretched out before them. In the distance stood mountains covered in rich green trees. This was Cloud's territory, and he knew it well.

He cautioned Lyra to be on the lookout for shadow hounds and dragons. This area

was wide open and there weren't many places to take cover. As a precaution, Lyra cast a protection spell over both of them, and they headed off to the south.

Kadaj pulled into Trier a couple of hours after his quarry had left. He had managed to get a transport out of North Corel to Kalm, and made good time by driving for most of the night. He was close and he could feel it. His feeling was confirmed by a couple of townsfolk who said they had seen the couple leaving town on foot. He thanked them and with a slight, evil grin let himself slip into stalking mode.

He knew he could catch them easily, but he wanted to make this game last. He drove until he could barely make out two figures walking in the distance. With a pair of high-powered binoculars, he watched as his prey continued making their way on foot, oblivious to the fact that he was watching them. _I'll stay just far back enough that I won't be noticed. Once they reach the ruins, I'll kill Cloud and put Lyra out of commission._


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9**_

The two of them made good progress and after a few hours of walking, Cloud could see the ridge overlooking Midgar a short distance away. Dark clouds were gathering over the area and he hoped the weather would hold until they could reach Edge. Rain would make traveling on foot difficult.

Together they had made short work of a rather large pack of shadow hounds and battled three dragons. Their last encounter with a dragon had left them a little bruised, battered, and bloody. Cloud walked away with a few scrapes and one long cut along his arm. What concerned him more was a nasty gash on Lyra's leg.

He had bandaged it as best he could, but he could see blood starting to seep through. Although she tried to hide it, he would occasionally see her winch in pain as they walked.

They took a short, but much needed break under a shaded outcropping. Cloud watched Lyra while she nervously looked around and nibbled on a protein bar. He thought maybe their last encounter had really shaken her up, but as he thought about it, he realized her behavior had been changing as they got closer to Midgar. She was fidgeting more and seemed to be hypervigilant.

She suddenly stopped her nibbling and stood up, staring off in the distance behind them. After a couple of minutes, she shook herself as though she got a chill and sat back down. She wrapped up the rest of her protein bar and stuffed it into her pack.

"What's wrong, Lyra? Did you see something?"

"No, I didn't see anything. I just feel like…" She looked off silently into the distance again.

"Like what?"

"It's nothing." She replied as she shook her head. She looked down at her leg and then at Cloud. "How much longer until we get to Edge?"

"Maybe another hour or so. Not too far." He could see that she was getting concerned. Maybe she was nervous because she thought her injury might prevent them from making it to their destination. "How's your leg?"

She looked at it again. "It'll heal. Maybe not as fast as usual, but it will heal." She said it in a way that was almost nonchalant, and that caught Cloud off guard. "If I could do full, regular doses of the J-cells, then this would be gone by this evening."

"Can you give yourself another dose?" he asked.

"I suppose that I could, but I don't want to push it. There's only one vial left." She looked up to see Cloud staring at the wound. "I'll be all right, so don't worry about it. I'll give myself the other dose when we get to Edge."

The edge in her voice told Cloud to let it go. He consolidated most of their things into his pack, lightening Lyra's. He helped her put it on, and they slowly started out again.

The ruins of Midgar appeared below as they approached the top of the ridge. It had taken a little longer than Cloud estimated, but the look on Lyra's face was worth it. Even though the once sprawling city of Midgar was now a shell of its former self, she was awestruck.

Brush and trees grew in the streets where once there was the steady hum of traffic, and vines spread up and out across the walls, the abandoned homes, and what remained of the plates. The noise of the city and its people was now replaced by silence. It was eerie and beautiful all at the same time and it was hard for her to imagine the chaos that had transformed it.

She watched as Cloud walked a little further down the ridge and stopped in front of something sticking up from the ground. As she approached, she realized it was a sword. It was rusting horribly in places, but a sizable area on the blade appeared to have been cleaned recently. It bore two names, running vertically along each edge, and engraved in elegant lettering. The first was Zack, and beside it was Cloud.

He head was reeling and he was so stunned at the sight of his own name that he sank to his knees. That could only mean he was thought to be dead. ShinRa had at least partially succeeded in taking away his life.

He felt Lyra's hand on his shoulder. She said nothing, but he could feel her concern. He stayed there for a few minutes, staring at the makeshift memorial, almost afraid to move. The moment was so surreal that he wondered if he really was dead. Lyra's soft, soothing voice assured him that he was still very much alive.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she knelt down beside him.

He shook his head and reached out to touch the blade. His fingers traced the letters of Zack's name, then his own. "We both carried this sword, first Zack, and then me. I guess it's only fitting it should have both of our names on it." He rose from his knees and patted the hand guard, and then he helped Lyra to her feet. "Come on. I'll show you the way down."

Kadaj looked on until they descended the ridge and disappeared from his sight. He knew he'd come close to being discovered, so he entered Midgar from the edge furthest from his intended victims. There, he found an abandoned building that afforded him a place to hide his bike and watch from the shadows.

He crouched down behind the sill of a window. The glass was dirty from years of neglect and weather, and the bottom half of the pane had been broken. It was perfect, and he plotted his impending assault, trembling with anticipation, and watching as Cloud and Lyra approached the city.

They continued on until the ruins of the city towered formidably over them. Lyra's injury had slowed them somewhat, and a light rain had started as they reached the outskirts. Her leg was throbbing in pain, but she said nothing. She tried not to let it show on her face, but she could tell that Cloud wasn't fooled.

He tried to take her mind off the pain by giving her an impromptu guided tour of the past. He pointed out what used to be where as they walked by the abandoned shells of shops, bars, and inns. He regaled her with stories of the places where he met with friends and did business for the delivery service.

She was fascinated and amused. She imagined the sights and sounds, the crowds of people, the noises from vehicles going back and forth on the streets, and the smells from the shops and restaurants.

She stopped in the middle of the street, closed her eyes, and tilted her head back slightly. She let the rain wash down over her as she took in everything that Cloud was saying. He could see the corners of her mouth start to turn upwards. He smiled with her, satisfied that he'd helped her forget the pain, and somehow made her happy.

Her moment of contentedness was shattered by the chill that ran down her spine. The smile faded as she opened her eyes and looked at Cloud. He could see the faint glow of mako behind them.

"Lyra? What is it?"

Without moving her head, she scanned around her, trying to pinpoint what had put her on edge. "I don't know," she whispered.

"Is this the same feeling you got before?"

"Yes, only stronger. I feel cold."

"Is there something here?"

"I don't know!" she yelled back at him. She shook off the chill and started walking, making Cloud run a few steps to catch up to her. "We need to keep moving. This doesn't feel right and I can't explain it."

Part of him wanted to tell her to stop until they could figure it out. The other part of him wanted to run like hell. Logic told him neither good option. He let her go and stayed beside her, hoping that whatever she was feeling would pass.

Behind him, he heard a low, unfamiliar hum and started to look behind him. Before he could get turned around, he caught the sight of Kadaj's bike in the corner of his eye. He went to push Lyra out of the way and yell at her to run, but it was too late. Lyra was knocked to the side while Kadaj's boot made contact with his chest.

He first felt the wind being knocked out of him, followed by the sensation of flying through the air. He landed on the cracked asphalt several yards away with a heavy thud, and rolled side over side for several more before stopping in a prone position.

Lyra got up with a groan and watched in horror as Kadaj turned his bike around and rode back towards Cloud, skidding to a stop just seconds before he would've hit him. He dismounted and unsheathed his sword at the same time. He spun it around slowly a couple of times as he paced back and forth, taunting her.

"Cloud!" she cried out, hoping that somehow he'd hear her and get up. He remained motionless on the pavement.

"All of this trouble, and for what? Him?" Kadaj yelled as he looked down on his unconscious nemesis. He watched as Lyra ran a few steps closer. "Look at him! He's a weak, pathetic human. Is this what you really wanted, Lyra? Was he worth giving up everything you had?"

"I had nothing except misery. He was worth giving it all up and more!"

He jerked his chin at her in defiance. "Humpf. I'll give you real misery!" He cried. He raised his sword above his head, preparing to deliver a fatal blow to his enemy. "Starting now!"

Instinctively, Lyra threw her hand out in front of her, sending out a stream of invisible energy that engulfed Cloud and shielded him just as Kadaj began to strike. "No!" she screamed as she sank to her knees.

She watched as the blades came down in a rush and bounced off the shield, inches from Cloud's body. The force of the blow was so strong that Kadaj was nearly hit in the face by the deflection and forced to take a couple of steps back.

He recovered quickly and glared at Lyra, who was standing once again. Rage consumed him. He leapt over Cloud and sprinted toward her, readying his sword for the attack. He would not be refused his right for revenge, especially by her.

She bent her knees slightly and pushed herself off the ground, barely escaping the blades as he swung at her. She landed on the low roof of the building to her left, and looked down at the fuming Kadaj. She drew her sword and examined her surroundings.

She knew she already had two distinct disadvantages. Cloud still lay unconscious on the ground below, and there was no way of telling when or if he would come to. She would have to face Kadaj alone. That would be a daunting task in and of itself. He outmatched her, not by a wide margin, but enough to give him the upper hand. She'd have to take advantage of his few weaknesses if she hoped to remain standing for any length of time. For now, defending herself and drawing him off Cloud seemed the best option. Drawing him off, however, presented its own problem.

Midgar was unfamiliar territory. The empty buildings provided plenty of places to find cover and dodge attacks, but the vastness of the city also offered the possibility of becoming lost. The shield she'd placed over Cloud would soon dissipate. If she couldn't find her way back to him, it might prove deadly for him.

She leapt over to the next rooftop, closer to Cloud. Kadaj followed from the ground, placing himself between the two of them. She could see the green fire of mako in his eyes, and feel the anger radiating from him. She waited warily to see what he was going to do next.

He began pacing again, tapping the palm of his free hand with the dull side of his blades. He could just wait until the shield wore off, but she was quick, and he knew she'd replace it as soon as it faded. She had been injured and she didn't feel as strong to him. He could force her to exhaust herself, but he had no way of knowing how long that would take. Cloud could wake up at any time, making this fight much more difficult than he planned.

Cloud was closer to being his equal than Lyra, and Kadaj often found himself wishing for a rematch. Before they had escaped, he dreamed of running him through with the Souba, and seeing the look on his face. He salivated at the thought of tasting his blood as he lay writhing and dying on the floor before him. Tseng had denied him that opportunity, and now he was denied once again by her.

"I suppose it only makes sense that you'd want him, being human and all. But how much of a man can he really be when he needs a woman protecting him?" he taunted.

"He might only be human, but he's more of a man than you will ever be. Or, did you forget that he can bear children where you cannot. He was paired with me because you lack the ability! Ironic, isn't it?" She seized the opportunity to push the one button that she knew would set him off, and it worked.

He stopped his pacing and with little effort, leapt up at her. "You little bitch!"

She stepped back quickly out of his way as he landed in front of her. He took a swing at her and she parried, deflecting his attack. He swung again, and she blocked him just inches from her face. She could feel him trying to force her back, but she braced herself and stood her ground.

"I'll make sure you spend the rest of your pathetic life paying for that insult!" he hissed at her.

"How's that, Kadaj?" she replied under her breath.

"I'll see to it personally that your life becomes a living hell as my slave! You'll spend the rest of your days waiting on me hand and foot, and at night you'll be my whore."

"You've already made me your whore, but if you want to enslave me you'll have to catch me first!" she yelled in his face as she pushed him backwards.

She tumbled out of the way, managing to avoid being hit as his blades struck the ground beside her. She somersaulted through the air, and landed lightly on the neighboring roof. She ran along the edge and as she passed Cloud, she quickly threw some healing energy on him, and strengthened the shield.

She continued running and jumping from one roof to the next with Kadaj closely pursuing her. She needed to gain ground if she was going to stay ahead of him. She jumped down to the street, using the speed from her free fall to gain momentum. The buildings which lined the other side were taller and she needed all the help she could get.

It took a little more effort than she anticipated, and she cleared the edge with only a couple of inches to spare. Quickly, she turned to see Kadaj following her movements. As he landed on the pavement below, she summoned a blast of air and aimed it directly at him. He countered, using the Souba to stop the incoming assault. He answered by sending up a shower of blue fireworks that knocked her from her feet and blew off the face of the building.

He waited for the dust to settle, hoping that she'd come crashing to the ground with the rubble. Instead, he was greeted by the sound of her voice taunting him from above. "You missed!"

By the time he reached the rooftop, she was already a considerable distance ahead of him. Angry and not wanting to waste any more of his time or energy, he jumped back down to the street. She couldn't run forever, and his bike would quicker. As much as he hated to admit it, her use of J-cells gave him a convenient means of finding her. He would conserve his energy and pursue her on a more "spiritual" level, seeking her through their common bond.

As Lyra ran, she turned her head to see how close Kadaj was. When she realized that he was gone, she stopped in her tracks and quickly looked all around her. He was nowhere to be seen, and she tried to stop the fear that crept into her soul. Real panic set in at the discovery that she had indeed become lost.

In her rush to get away from Kadaj, she'd forgotten to look for landmarks. She was now in an area where everything looked the same. She had no idea which direction she should take, and there were no distinguishing features to guide her.

She walked to the edge of the building and carefully peered down at the street. Reassured that Kadaj wasn't lurking below, she stepped from the side and let herself fall gracefully with her arms extended out to her sides. She touched down on the asphalt, bending at her knees. Pain from her injured leg shot through her like a thousand knives. She started to cry out, managing to grit her teeth and stifle it halfway through.

She hobbled to the side of the street and took a seat on a bench so she could get a better look at the wound. The dragon's claw had ripped through her skirt and leggings, tearing a deep gash into her thigh. The bandage was still intact, but fresh blood was beginning to seep through again. She needed something to wrap over it. Her skirt was already torn, so she ripped off the bottom tier and carefully wrapped it over the existing bandage. It wasn't much, but it would hold for now.

She forced herself to stand, and tried to get her bearings. She was more confused than ever. She started to walk down the side of the street, hoping it was the direction she'd come from. She desperately wanted to get back to Cloud, and prayed that Kadaj hadn't beat her to him.

She stopped for a moment and put her hand over the wound. She had already expended a lot of energy, but she had to try to at least slow the bleeding and take the edge off the pain. Pulling in her reserves, she concentrated on her leg, letting the healing magic flow through her hand. She finished several minutes later, managing to seal the wound and bring the pain to a more tolerable level.

A familiar, eerie chill came over her, and she heard the low hum of Kadaj's bike around the corner. Thinking quickly, she ducked behind an old phone booth and waited for him to pass. He stopped just a short distance past her and dismounted. She could hear the rush of steel as he took out his sword.

"I know you're here somewhere, Lyra. Somewhere close. I can feel it." His voice had a sing-song, mocking tone to it. "You can either show yourself and we can end this now, or you can wait until I find you and wish you had come out. The choice is yours."

She stayed crouched behind the phone booth. There hadn't been enough time for her to recover what energy she had used. She had barely enough to protect herself from a full on attack. The building across from her had an awning that she might be able to use to help her get to the roof. With a little luck, she might be able to get away again.

She darted out from behind the booth, using all of her strength to jump to the awning. It held under her weight and gave her enough bounce to clear the roof. The tiles were slick from the rain. She slipped a little, but managed to keep herself upright. She heard Kadaj scream and he landed right behind her.

She sprinted a short distance and jumped blindly to the next roof. It was unexpectedly lower than the one she'd jumped from, and she had to roll to keep herself from breaking her legs. She rose to her feet just long enough to draw her sword before going down on one knee.

Kadaj watched smugly from the roof above as Lyra struggled. He knew he had run her down. Now all he had to do was collect her, but not before doling out her punishment first. He wanted to leave her with a permanent reminder of what would happen should she decide to try and run again.

She blocked his oncoming attack, and tried desperately to swing at him. He disarmed her easily, sending her sword flying behind her. He let out a laugh, taunted her, and then grabbed her by the neck.

The last thing she remembered was the searing pain of two blades being dragged up both sides of her spine, and then darkness.


End file.
